Page 2044 - Week 06 - Thursday, 26 June 2008
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Mrs Burke made comment about recommendations 5 and 8 and the need to be careful about those things and it being a bit of a double-edged sword. I do not necessarily dispute that but, specifically with relation to recommendation 8 about resilience programs in upper primary and early high school children, it is not talking about drug education programs; it is talking about making our children stronger so that they can face the challenges that society throws up against them. Realistically, if we want to keep our kids away from drugs and get themselves into a cycle that they cannot get out of, I believe—and I think the committee believed in the end—that the way to do that is to actually focus on those resilience programs in a lot of cases.
This report does have 23 recommendations. One of the other things that have not necessarily been talked about so much is that we heard that young people in the 18 to 20-age group are most at risk of engaging in illicit drug use. I can leave the rest of the recommendations. I trust that members of the Assembly are quite capable of looking through the report and working out the recommendations.
I want to pay tribute to the organisations that appeared before the committee at not just hearings but a community forum we had in March last year. I should mention that the late Audrey Fagan came to that and spoke at that, along with Tina Van Raay, formerly of Directions ACT. We had somebody from the health area and alcohol and other drugs area. We had a large number of people from the community who turned up to that. I think that that session was very informative. Dr Alice Wodak came down from Sydney. I think it was a very informative session for the community. So I thank people for coming along to that and speaking as well as listening and asking questions. Also some organisations hosted visits from the committee; so thank you to them.
I would also like to thank my colleagues on the committee for their support and for coming on the journey of discovery with this report. Finally, thank you to Grace Concannon and Lydia Chung.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Estimates 2008-2009—Select Committee
Report
MS PORTER (Ginninderra): I seek leave to present the report of the Select Committee on Estimates 2008-2009.
Leave granted.
MS PORTER: I present the following report:
Estimates 2008-2009—Select Committee—Report (2 volumes)—Appropriation Bill 2008-2009, dated 17 June 2008, including a dissenting report (Mrs Dunne, Mr Smyth), together with—
A copy of the relevant minutes of proceedings.
Letter to the Speaker from the Chair requesting authorisation for the printing, tabling and circulation of the Report on the Appropriation Bill 2008-2009, dated 17 June 2008.
Answers to questions on notice (3 volumes).
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