Page 785 - Week 02 - Thursday, 12 February 2009
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
remember the support of the volunteers who gave so much in 2003 when we were similarly affected by bushfires. We see that the same is happening again and that a second contingent of our volunteers has gone to Victoria.
While we are on the subject of volunteers, may I take the opportunity to mention that Volunteering ACT are launching their Volunteer of the Year awards in the Assembly reception room next week. While I am not able to attend myself, I encourage all those members who can to show their support not only for our volunteers but also for the community-based organisations they contribute to.
The call on professional services from specialists in areas such as law, accounting, taxation and health can also be heightened in this time of crisis. I note that the Law Society, for example, provides a clearing house service for people who cannot afford legal services or who are ineligible for legal services to get access to those services on a pro bono basis. These are services which should be valued and supported.
The pressure on community services is not limited just to community-based organisations; government-based community services will also be stretched. The Legal Aid Commission is one example of a government-based community service organisation that will be stretched in this time of crisis. It is important for governments to be aware of these pressures, particularly at the moment, and to ensure that the resources allocated to those services allow them to do their job properly. Like so many organisations, Legal Aid may have to turn clients away because they do not have the resources they need to provide the services that are in demand.
I have heard this government talk a lot about the current financial crisis and there is no denying that we are facing a crisis. Further, there is no doubt that the resources of our community-based community service organisations, as well as those provided by the government, will be stretched while we work our way through the crisis. We have heard the Chief Minister this morning laud Mr Rudd’s economic stimulus package and castigate the opposition and the crossbenchers for what he sees as our refusal to support the package. But what is in this package for our community services? Nothing—not a brass razoo. Is there more that we can say about what the people of the ACT might expect from either the commonwealth or the ACT government as we face increased burdens that will be carried by our community services sectors as we go further into this financial crisis?
The role of our community services is a matter of importance. It is interesting that we listened to the Chief Minister for the best part of 15 minutes where he skirted very carefully around the central tenant of Ms Bresnan’s matter of public importance, which she got pretty much to the point about, that in this crisis we are going to have to look at ways of funding organisations to meet the needs of the community. That means that in these financial circumstances governments are going to have to look at efficiencies that can be made in non-essential areas so that the money which is being spent in areas which are perhaps non-essential can be diverted to where it is needed most—that is, looking after the poorest in the community, the most helpless.
During the election campaign it was interesting to note that the government, feeling flushed with funds at the time and not foreseeing any economic crisis coming, was not prepared to nominate any area where they said they could cut expenditure—any area
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .