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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 6 Hansard (17 June) . . Page.. 1940 ..

MRS BURKE

I was also disappointed-from the perspective of young people transitioning into the workplace-that there are very few school-to-work initiatives. There is great news for the development of policy for career guidance-I concede that-but it is a lot of policy department work. It does not seem to be actively giving anything out in the community. I would suggest there was little or no effort put into encouraging business to be more actively or proactively involved with our schools and colleges. Where are the programs that encourage and stimulate greater partnerships with our business sector?

On another youth issue, I would strongly urge, and hope that the government takes notice, that direct funding for youth workers be aimed at the existing community-based workers, rather than throwing the baby out with the bathwater. These workers, who provide a valuable role in service to our young people, must remain at arm's length from the schools-for obvious reasons. I ask the government to take note of the committee's very sound and sensible recommendation in that respect.

Mr Speaker, I am concerned with the attitude that has been adopted by this government towards Volunteering ACT. It seemed that the Chief Minister had gone into hiding on this matter. I understand that a less than helpful or productive meeting was held today between the Chief Minister's Department and Volunteering ACT, but with no promise of funding levels being restored, which is quite sad. I would strongly urge the Chief Minister to allow what I can only concede to be pride to take a back seat, and consider the ramifications of such negative actions.

Further, I am most concerned about the impact this decision will have upon the compact. Many of you may remember that there is an excellent document out between the government and the community sector. Volunteering ACT was one of the linchpin groups of this compact. It will be disturbing to find what will happen now. This compact is about a shared vision. I believe this will be severely hampered if funding levels are not restored.

I commend the committee for coming to the point where groups need to be able to have input. Mr Daniel Stubbs, from ACTCOSS, made the point very articulately and succinctly that community groups needed to have input sooner rather than later, to better advise the government of its needs, rather than the government telling them what they are getting, based on guesswork and assumption.

There is one other thing I would bring to this Assembly's notice in respect of Volunteering ACT. In Mr Stanhope's address at the launch of the Agenda for Volunteering for the ACT Community 2003-2007, his words were:

In the ACT, there are more than 100,000 Canberrans, young and old, who are involved in volunteering in one way or another. This is the highest participation rate for volunteering for any State or Territory in Australia.

And we cannot even find them another $50,000-shame! It continues:

A truly remarkable commitment to our community.

Mr Stanhope went on to say:

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