Page 3109 - Week 10 - Thursday, 15 August 2013
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And that is a quote from the estimates hearings. Much can be done to shorten these timelines and support the families involved with this process.
The budget also highlighted the fact that out of home care days are increasing by 4,500 in the ACT. This care is predominantly being met by kinship carers who play a vital role in the support and protection of vulnerable children, and support for kinship carers, both emotional and financial, is crucial in the success of these roles in the community.
Moving on to ageing, the population of those aged 65 to 84 years is projected to increase by 170 per cent, whilst the population of those aged 85 and over is expected to increase by 509 per cent in the next 40 years, according to the populations in the ACT issues and analysis paper. Yet we have a government that focuses very little on ageing. Very little time and consideration was taken during estimates to discuss this growing population, and it would seem even less time is being taken to put in place a platform which will support this growing population into the future.
During estimates, plans for an age-friendly city conference and an older persons assembly were discussed, along with the seniors grant, but little has been done to address the real needs of the ageing community. Where are the plans to address the lack of safety that seniors feel while waiting at bus stations or to address the number of uneven footpaths impeding seniors’ mobility, just to name a few?
The Canberra Liberals would have effected real change and put in place real plans for the ageing. We pledged in the last election to task the ICRC to review options available to extend senior concessions, including for residents at retirement villages. We were committed to consulting with older Canberrans in public housing to identify existing multi-unit properties where accommodation can be better dedicated to older residents and where services and social activities can be better focused.
Again, where is the government’s plan? If this government was serious about support for the ageing community, it would have real plans and real targets in place, producing outcomes that provide assurance to the ageing community that there is a plan for the future.
Debate interrupted in accordance with standing order 74 and the resumption of the debate made an order of the day for a later hour.
Sitting suspended from 12.27 to 2.30 pm.
Questions without notice
Government—executive contracts
MR HANSON: My question is to the Chief Minister. Chief Minister, given the level of executive responsibility you demanded of the Chairman of ACTEW concerning misleading Canberra taxpayers about the reporting of the Managing Director of ACTEW’s salary, what action will you be taking for your failure or that of your senior executives in tabling over $42 million of executive contracts on 6 August 2013, as you are required to do so under the Public Sector Management Act?
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