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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 10 Hansard (24 November) . . Page.. 2789 ..
MR MOORE (continuing):
It would not surprise me at all if it was the same group, Mr Rugendyke, because different businesses run a range of different services. I do not see anything particularly wrong with that. It is quite interesting and, of course, there is some humour associated with the way we could picture the work being done. I am sure that, in these circumstances, Annabelle's could provide a very wide range of assistance for people.
The second question was a detailed financial question. I do not have the answer here. I will take that on notice. I say again, Mr Rugendyke, that if you want me to be able to answer specifically a question like that at short notice, if you can give it to me half an hour before question time, I will always be delighted to give the answer to you at the time you ask the question.
MR RUGENDYKE: I have a supplementary question. It is simply this, Mr Speaker: Minister, is it appropriate that an organisation which walks your dog and puts your wheelie bin out while you are on leave should be charged with the responsibility of caring for mentally ill patients in the ACT?
MR MOORE: I imagine that many mentally ill patients have dogs, too, Mr Rugendyke, and they may well be fortunate enough to have such a wide-ranging service. But, quite seriously, the Department of Health and Community Care, in response to your question last week, said that they had looked at Annabelle's and they had looked at the Work Resources Centre, and the tendering process had been followed in the normal way, as I identified in my answer to you. I do not have any particular problem with that, as it would appear on the surface. I certainly do not have a problem - nor do I think that any member should have a problem - with a business that has a series of different arms to it. That having been said, I will take the issues on notice and come back to you with more detail.
MR BERRY: Mr Speaker, my question is to the Chief Minister. Chief Minister, reading through the Government's response to the Bringing them home report, it becomes clear that the implementation of many of the recommendations is contingent upon advice from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Consultative Council. Given the fact that this council is no longer in operation, can the Chief Minister guarantee that recommendations dependent upon the council's advice do not adversely suffer because of the Government's failure to appoint a council?
MS CARNELL: Actually, I think I answered that question last week, in terms of the Government's approach to appointing a new Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Consultative Council. I think it would be wasting the Assembly's time for me to run through that procedure again, although I have still got the briefing paper. Members will be aware that, in that particular answer to that question, I made it clear that the Government is committed to appointing a new consultative council; that we have had a review; that that review is due to be completed about now; and that, as a result of that review, we will be looking at appointing a new consultative council. The existence of a council, I suppose, does not in any way take away from our commitment to the Bringing them home report, Mr Speaker.
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