Page 1600 - Week 04 - Thursday, 25 March 2010

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think about it. The adjournment was on the basis of an agreement that the advice would come and then we would debate. Now they want to flip it the other way. They have had second thoughts again. They have had third thoughts and they will not honour what they have said to us.

Standing orders should not be suspended. This process that was put in train, at the request of the Greens, should be followed in the way that it was originally proposed. Flipping it the other way halfway through is outrageous and standing orders should not be suspended.

MR CORBELL (Molonglo—Attorney-General, Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Water, Minister for Energy and Minister for Police and Emergency Services) (6.16), in reply: Mr Speaker, I seek leave to speak again.

Leave granted.

MR CORBELL: It has come to my attention that there will not be an absolute majority of members supporting this motion this evening and therefore it will not be successful, even though I understand that both the Greens and the government will be supporting the motion. Therefore, I seek the leave of the Assembly to withdraw my motion.

Leave granted.

Adjournment

Motion by Mr Corbell proposed:

That the Assembly do now adjourn.

Migrant refugee settlement service

UnitingCare Kippax

MR COE (Ginninderra) (6.16): One of the most enjoyable aspects of being a local member is meeting the people of my electorate and the community organisations that tirelessly strive to make Canberra a better place to live. One such organisation is the Migrant and Refugee Settlement Service, MARSS. Since its inception in 1980, MARSS has been a leading advocate for some of the most vulnerable members of our society, namely, refugees. While the organisation receives the majority of its funding from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, I am pleased to say that the ACT government has, since 1990, significantly assisted MARSS with the great work it does.

The primary function of MARSS is to assist new migrants of all ages to overcome the difficulties of learning English, finding employment, accessing government services and ensuring equity for all Canberrans. The organisation’s mission is to be “a leader in the provision of settlement and related services for migrants and refugees”, a very worthy one indeed. To this end, MARSS runs several programs to assist new migrants.


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