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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 3 Hansard (10 April) . . Page.. 920 ..

MS TUCKER (continuing):

(5) the provision of services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds;

(6) children's advocacy services;

(7) whether the ACT Government is meeting its obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child; and

(8) any other related matter.

I ask for leave to make a short statement.

Leave granted.

MS TUCKER: Mr Speaker, for the two years I have been here and through our Social Policy Committee inquiries the issues of this inquiry have kept popping up. The inquiry into violence in schools brought us face to face with the complexity of issues which are the causes of violent behaviour. Likewise, our inquiry into the School Without Walls showed us the serious nature of some of the problems facing young people. Many of the submissions for our current inquiry into mental health services have also highlighted the needs of young people in this area.

As you will be aware, I have raised some of these issues in question time in the Assembly. I was extremely disappointed with the response. It was handled in the normal way that we handle these issues in the Assembly, but I am pleased to be able to say that we will be having this inquiry. We will be able to look at these issues in a positive and thorough way. I hope that the committee will be able to come up with recommendations which will help the Government in its work, so that the outcomes for this particular group of our community are indeed better.

MR WHITECROSS (Leader of the Opposition): Mr Speaker, I wish to inform the Assembly, pursuant to standing order 246A, that on 5 March 1997 the Standing Committee on Public Accounts resolved to inquire into and report on the lease/lease-back of the Magistrates Court and the Dame Pattie Menzies Building. This was pursuant to a recommendation of the Estimates Committee last year.

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