Page 1369 - Week 04 - Thursday, 4 April 2019
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that a paper reporting the findings of this review was, to use your word, imminent. Minister, has this report of the review been completed?
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: I thank Mr Wall for the question. Unfortunately this piece of work has been delayed. A draft discussion paper has been prepared. It is a piece of work that JACS is responsible for developing and there has been conversation between JACS and the Community Services Directorate.
I have given very clear direction that this piece of work must be developed in the context of the ACT government’s commitment to the ACT as a restorative city. I hesitate to say that the discussion paper is imminent, but it is close. Obviously this review will not be finalised without consultation. The direct answer to Mr Wall’s question is no, it has not been finalised because obviously it would be the subject of consultation.
MR WALL: Minister, why is it taking so long for the government to prepare this simple review that was recommended three years ago? Given that you stated in estimates that it was “imminent”, do you believe that you have misled the Assembly?
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: No, I do not believe that I misled the Assembly. At the time it was my understanding that this work was imminent. There has obviously been a very significant policy load in a range of policy areas, across both the Community Services Directorate and the Justice and Community Safety Directorate, including in responding to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
This piece of work is not simple. This is actually a very complex piece of work, in understanding what other jurisdictions do and comparing that to the ACT system, in trying to really understand what the options are for the ACT and how we should present those in a way that people who are going to respond to this review can understand. While acknowledging that we want to hear from people who have direct experience in the system, we need to be able to explain our options and our system in plain English to those people. This is not a simple piece of work. I am disappointed that it has taken this long to get done, and I am looking forward to the discussion paper being released.
MRS KIKKERT: Minister, what is your government trying to hide by delaying this report and who will be involved in the consultation?
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: The answer to the first part of the question is nothing; and there will be a public consultation.
Health—prescription monitoring
MS CODY: My question is to the minister for health. Minister, can you provide an update of real-time prescription monitoring in the ACT?
MS FITZHARRIS: I thank Ms Cody for this question. I am delighted to provide an update to the Assembly on the rollout of this very important real-time prescription
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