Mr ELFERINK - 1998-08-20
What funding arrangements have been organised by his department in relation to the Central Australian Aboriginal Alcohol Program (CAAAPU) in Alice Springs?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, that is an interesting question.
Mr Ah Kit: You wrote it.
Mr BURKE: No. I will pick up the interjection. The question was flagged to me by the member for MacDonnell an hour ago, which demonstrates ...
Mr Ah Kit: Aagh!
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Arnhem.
Mr BURKE: Don’t say ‘Aagh!’ It is a fact. I came back from Kalkarindji 3 days ago and am bagged about how little the CLP government does on Aboriginal issues. Not only has the member for MacDonnell written to me on the issue, but also the member for Araluen, a former chairman of the Sessional Committee on the Use and Abuse of Alcohol by the Community. The member for Greatorex has lobbied me on issues. However, I have heard not a peep from the member for Stuart, not a peep from the shadow health spokesman, and not a peep from the member for Arnhem.
CAAAPU has had a chequered history. It was established in 1990 and commenced an alcohol rehabilitation service in 1991. That service included a women’s day program, a men’s day program and a residential program. To put it mildly, that organisation became financially challenged to the extent that we had auditors look at it. There was also a separate review of the conduct of the organisation and the former Minister for Health ceased funding, which was about $0.5m, until such time as those irregularities were sorted out.
The auditors made a number of strong recommendations. For any new funding arrangements, a new submission was required, proposing a service agreement. About 52 recommendations were made by the auditors and had to be initiated by CAAAPU before funding could be reorganised. The auditors said also that any new proposals of funding had to be limited to no more than 20 residential places. Any proposals for new funding were to be consistent with the resources available within the Living With Alcohol program.
I am particularly pleased to report that all those recommendations have been acted upon by the new management of CAAAPU. I have now approved $250 000 of recurrent funding which will last until 2000. It addresses a significant problem of residential care for that particular clientele in Alice Springs.
I thank honourable members for their concern. I thank you, Madam Speaker, for your efforts in seeing that CAAAPU is reviewed in terms of how it reinstitutes its program in the future. I wish it all the very best for success with its new program.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, that is an interesting question.
Mr Ah Kit: You wrote it.
Mr BURKE: No. I will pick up the interjection. The question was flagged to me by the member for MacDonnell an hour ago, which demonstrates ...
Mr Ah Kit: Aagh!
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Member for Arnhem.
Mr BURKE: Don’t say ‘Aagh!’ It is a fact. I came back from Kalkarindji 3 days ago and am bagged about how little the CLP government does on Aboriginal issues. Not only has the member for MacDonnell written to me on the issue, but also the member for Araluen, a former chairman of the Sessional Committee on the Use and Abuse of Alcohol by the Community. The member for Greatorex has lobbied me on issues. However, I have heard not a peep from the member for Stuart, not a peep from the shadow health spokesman, and not a peep from the member for Arnhem.
CAAAPU has had a chequered history. It was established in 1990 and commenced an alcohol rehabilitation service in 1991. That service included a women’s day program, a men’s day program and a residential program. To put it mildly, that organisation became financially challenged to the extent that we had auditors look at it. There was also a separate review of the conduct of the organisation and the former Minister for Health ceased funding, which was about $0.5m, until such time as those irregularities were sorted out.
The auditors made a number of strong recommendations. For any new funding arrangements, a new submission was required, proposing a service agreement. About 52 recommendations were made by the auditors and had to be initiated by CAAAPU before funding could be reorganised. The auditors said also that any new proposals of funding had to be limited to no more than 20 residential places. Any proposals for new funding were to be consistent with the resources available within the Living With Alcohol program.
I am particularly pleased to report that all those recommendations have been acted upon by the new management of CAAAPU. I have now approved $250 000 of recurrent funding which will last until 2000. It addresses a significant problem of residential care for that particular clientele in Alice Springs.
I thank honourable members for their concern. I thank you, Madam Speaker, for your efforts in seeing that CAAAPU is reviewed in terms of how it reinstitutes its program in the future. I wish it all the very best for success with its new program.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016