Page 4449 - Week 14 - Thursday, 1 December 1994
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MR STEFANIAK: I have a supplementary question, Madam Speaker. The Minister has not answered my last question, which was: Has that Sydney based company, Ibecon Pty Ltd, ever carried out any work for or on behalf of Leda Holdings?
MR WOOD: Madam Speaker, I do not know; but I will find out.
Handyhelp Service
MR KAINE: Madam Speaker, my question is to the Chief Minister. Chief Minister, in your budget speech this year you spoke about providing fair and equal access to areas essential to quality of life; about redressing disadvantage resulting from factors including age; and about targeting the people in greatest need - and these are your words - "which includes many of our senior citizens". Despite this, Handyhelp, a voluntary organisation providing assistance to the ageing, has been grossly neglected by your Government, in that not only has ACT funding not been increased to meet their needs, but it has not even been indexed this year, although the Commonwealth have done their share by indexing theirs. This is causing great concern, due to the inability of Handyhelp to provide the assistance that many people need. Chief Minister, is this a measure of your commitment to fair and equal access and to redressing disadvantage for those ageing people in need of assistance?
MS FOLLETT: Madam Speaker, the actual service that Mr Kaine has mentioned - Handyhelp - is funded, I believe, under one of the programs administered by my colleague Mr Lamont. I will need to consult with him in order to respond to Mr Kaine's question. Obviously, the work that Handyhelp does is very much valued in our community. It is essential work - not very glamorous work - assisting disabled and frail aged people with the kind of work around the home that can add enormously to their independence and their ability to remain in their own homes, instead of having to go into some kind of supported accommodation. It is clearly very valuable work. I do not have the detail of their funding, but I will ascertain that detail and get back to Mr Kaine.
MR KAINE: I ask a supplementary question, Madam Speaker. I note, with interest, that the Chief Minister thinks it is necessary to talk to Mr Lamont to find out whether or not they are being properly funded. I find that rather curious, since she happens to be the patron of this organisation. Despite all the rhetoric, should she not consider her commitment to this organisation and whether she should resign as patron, since she does not even know anything about its funding?
MS FOLLETT: Madam Speaker, I can assure Mr Kaine that, as the patron of Handyhelp, I have fairly recently been out to visit them and had quite some conversation with them. On that occasion, nobody raised the question of their funding. It has not been raised with me since, or at all, to the best of my knowledge. If there is a problem, as Mr Kaine seems to be asserting, then I am afraid that it is known only to him at this point.
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