Page 2633 - Week 07 - Thursday, 2 August 2018

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Floriade. The deputy director-general of your directorate is quoted as saying, “With the change of personnel and the records that we had available to us it wasn’t exactly clear which invoices related to prepayments as opposed to last year’s delivery as opposed to tidying up the 2016.” Minister, why is the record keeping in your directorate so bad that you cannot determine which invoices are related to which Floriade?

MR BARR: In this particular case, invoices for multiple years and multiple contracts for Floriade 2016, 2017 and 2018 were incorrectly coded within that directorate. That issue has been assessed and rectified, and information has been provided, I believe, to the estimates committee in relation to that matter.

MRS KIKKERT: Minister, has any supplier been paid twice as a result of the problems with your directorate’s management?

MR BARR: I have no advice to that effect.

MR WALL: Chief Minister, why is the record keeping in the Chief Minister, Treasury and Economic Development Directorate so bad, whether it relates to discussions with the CFMEU, invoices for Floriade or decisions to change the structure of Health?

MR BARR: Undoubtedly record keeping needs to improve, and it will.

Youth—social participation

MS ORR: My question is to the Minister for Disability, Children and Youth. Minister, what is the government doing to support young people to make positive contributions to our community?

MS STEPHEN-SMITH: I thank Ms Orr for her question. The ACT government’s youth participation and engagement strategy is implemented through the youth interACT initiative. This initiative provides opportunities for young people to contribute to policy and program discussions and aims to ensure that young people have a real voice on matters that affect them.

Youth interACT engages young people through a range of activities, including the Youth Advisory Council, the young Canberra citizen of the year awards and a number of grant and scholarship programs. Members will be pleased to know that applications are currently open for this year’s round of youth interACT grants. These grants provide funding of up to $1,500 for young people to organise one-off projects, events and programs that benefit other young people in the community.

Another key component of the youth engagement strategy is the government’s Youth Advisory Council. The Youth Advisory Council develops an annual work plan to guide their strategic direction and identify priority issues affecting young people in the ACT. The focus for the past 12 months has been inclusive sexual health and wellbeing, environment and planning, and youth employment rights and opportunities.


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