Page 2236 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 1 August 2017
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
MS CODY (Murrumbidgee) (11.36): I too would like to thank the committee secretary and all the other committee secretaries that helped out along the way. As Mr Wall commented, this is our first estimates report as an extended Assembly. I was very privileged to be part of that committee, to listen to the wonderful recommendations that the committee discussed and to be part of the work we did together to produce the report. We worked well together. We worked strongly and provided some very good recommendations that the government will hopefully take on board.
I also want to extend my thanks to the Minister for Health, Minister Fitzharris, for attending when she was clearly very unwell, for providing us with as many responses as she could when she was feeling so unwell and for talking about the questions taken on notice in respect of the Health portfolio. There were a number of questions for that particular portfolio. As we know, it is of interest to all of us. The ACT health system is one that we all use and use well. It is an area that we all like to know as much information about as we possibly can. Minister Fitzharris was very good at providing as much clarity as she possibly could on that day. I would like to thank her again for all of her work.
I would like to bring recommendations 35 and 36 to the attention of the government. I hope that the government continues to adhere to its fiscal strategy to ensure that we are working forward and that the ACT budget remains headed in the right direction.
The first part of the estimates hearings, as we are all aware, related to the community and industry representative groups. I would like to thank them for appearing and taking time out of their busy days. They are often not-for-profit groups or they are run by volunteers. I am very grateful that they came before the committee and gave up their time to allow us to talk to them and to ask some questions. I am sure the committee would agree.
There are a couple of other things that I wanted to raise. As a new member of the government, I found the committee hearings very thoughtful and insightful. I would like to thank all of the members, ministers and government officials who appeared. They did provide us with sometimes very detailed responses to questions that were asked. It certainly made life a lot easier for me and gave me a great insight into how those areas of government are working.
Something that was also close to my heart was the discussion that we had with the education directorate about ensuring that we have a safe and supportive school environment. The work that the government is currently doing to ensure that that is the case is also something that was very good to hear, and interesting, throughout the committee hearings.
Finally, I would like to thank the committee for organising for the Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence to appear. Apparently, the evidence that Minister Berry gave provided only the second opportunity to listen to what the government is doing on the prevention of domestic and family violence. I would like to thank the secretariat for organising some time for the minister to appear. I also
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video