Page 399 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 20 February 2018
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advocating on behalf of individuals or organisations and, indeed, organisations outside of politics or those who are individually affected. The government will look at this issue, as we do with others, and respond accordingly.
Mr Coe: Point of order, Madam Speaker.
MADAM SPEAKER: Point of order, Mr Coe?
Mr Coe: Yes, on relevance. The first part of the question was with regard to what policy documents guide the government on ex gratia payments and he has not yet answered that. I ask that he be directly relevant.
MADAM SPEAKER: Chief Minister, do you have further information for the Leader of the Opposition?
MR BARR: I have certainly tabled in this place policy criteria in relation to act of grace payments. I will see if I can source a document and table it when appropriate. It will not be this week, though.
Children and young people—care and protection
MRS KIKKERT: My question is to the Minister for Disability, Children and Youth. Minister, in an ABC radio interview near the end of last year Human Rights Commissioner, Helen Watchirs, repeated the Glanfield review’s finding that many care and protection decisions are not reviewable on their merits, as they are in other jurisdictions, and then said, “The fact that they’re not reviewable makes those decisions much less easy to defend.’ Since August last year what specific steps have been taken to make sure that more care and protection decisions are reviewable on their merits, as recommended by Mr Glanfield?
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: I thank Mrs Kikkert for her question. I do provide regular updates to the Assembly, as does the Deputy Chief Minister, in relation to implementation of Glanfield inquiry recommendations. I have not got any particular further updates since the last one I provided to the Assembly but work between the Justice and Community Safety Directorate and the Community Services Directorate in relation to that recommendation is ongoing.
MRS KIKKERT: Government representatives have been working on this issue since December 2016. When can we expect improvements to finally be implemented?
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: As I say, that work is ongoing. It is a matter of priority, but there are a number of issues being worked through in relation to both that matter and information sharing in response to recommendations from Glanfield and other inquiries. That work is actually quite detailed and complex and will be completed as soon as possible, given the detail and complexity of the work.
MS LAWDER: Minister, why does the ACT government not share Mr Glanfield’s and Dr Watchir’s concerns that many of the most important care and protection decisions are not reviewable on their merits, as they are in other jurisdictions?
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