Mr WOOD - 2013-02-20
I thank the minister for doing the backflip on the $20.
Last year, a parliamentary select committee, which included two CLP members, looked at youth suicides in the NT and recommended the promotion of youth friendly and culturally appropriate counselling and mental health services. The Balunu Foundation was one such service, and the young man that broke into your house was sent to Balunu with your support.
The Balunu Foundation has now closed down because your government announced four days before Christmas there would be no funding. Eight people lost their jobs. The Balunu Foundation has dealt with over 550 young people affected by drugs, alcohol, and some at the risk of suicide.
Why did you stop funding Balunu? Why did you not give them gap funding until the tendering process was completed? In the meantime, who will help those young people at risk of suicide now Balunu has closed?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question. With respect, in your lead-up to this you mentioned a couple of different ministers. It appeared to me to be a question that was referred to the Attorney-General, but I can at, the outset, give you a response. As you would well know, I am very much aware and very familiar with the work of the Balunu Foundation.
This was an organisation that was supported in the past by corporate money, but in recent times not so. It got into a position where it was solely dependent upon the funding support from the Territory government. I note in my involvement with Balunu Foundation and my support for their work, they were, effectively, in my view, used by the Labor government, if I may say, because there was a need for these types of programs to operate.
When the issue was being run when the Labor government was in power, they were offered some funding. That funding was only in place for the purposes of an election campaign, then it faded away - so much is the real care for kids. What has occurred since that ...
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Misleading parliament; the funding was in place and Labor had a juvenile justice review …
Madam SPEAKER: Opposition Leader, sit down! It is not a time for speeches. Chief Minister, you have the call.
Mr MILLS: I know about this.
Ms Lawrie: Stop lying.
Madam SPEAKER: Opposition Leader, withdraw that, please.
Ms LAWRIE: I withdraw, but everyone knows you are.
Madam SPEAKER: Opposition Leader, you have to withdraw that comment as well, please.
Ms LAWRIE: I withdraw. Read the editorial.
Mr MILLS: Our response is to create certainty and to establish a proper framework so we can ensure these types of programs can be properly supported. That is why a framework has been established with a community consultation project which the Balunu Foundation supports and will be more than welcome. They said they would be more than happy to apply when that funding framework is in place. Probably a bit late, but anyway.
Mr ELFERINK (Corrections): Madam Speaker, to wrap it up very quickly, we are going through the process of asking various potential tenderers to assist us with putting together a tender for the boot camp models in the Northern Territory. Those tenders have been successful and I am very proud to announce that in the first meeting we had 47 interested parties. There will be another party in the Northern Territory shortly. We are proud of our policies in this area.
Last year, a parliamentary select committee, which included two CLP members, looked at youth suicides in the NT and recommended the promotion of youth friendly and culturally appropriate counselling and mental health services. The Balunu Foundation was one such service, and the young man that broke into your house was sent to Balunu with your support.
The Balunu Foundation has now closed down because your government announced four days before Christmas there would be no funding. Eight people lost their jobs. The Balunu Foundation has dealt with over 550 young people affected by drugs, alcohol, and some at the risk of suicide.
Why did you stop funding Balunu? Why did you not give them gap funding until the tendering process was completed? In the meantime, who will help those young people at risk of suicide now Balunu has closed?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question. With respect, in your lead-up to this you mentioned a couple of different ministers. It appeared to me to be a question that was referred to the Attorney-General, but I can at, the outset, give you a response. As you would well know, I am very much aware and very familiar with the work of the Balunu Foundation.
This was an organisation that was supported in the past by corporate money, but in recent times not so. It got into a position where it was solely dependent upon the funding support from the Territory government. I note in my involvement with Balunu Foundation and my support for their work, they were, effectively, in my view, used by the Labor government, if I may say, because there was a need for these types of programs to operate.
When the issue was being run when the Labor government was in power, they were offered some funding. That funding was only in place for the purposes of an election campaign, then it faded away - so much is the real care for kids. What has occurred since that ...
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Misleading parliament; the funding was in place and Labor had a juvenile justice review …
Madam SPEAKER: Opposition Leader, sit down! It is not a time for speeches. Chief Minister, you have the call.
Mr MILLS: I know about this.
Ms Lawrie: Stop lying.
Madam SPEAKER: Opposition Leader, withdraw that, please.
Ms LAWRIE: I withdraw, but everyone knows you are.
Madam SPEAKER: Opposition Leader, you have to withdraw that comment as well, please.
Ms LAWRIE: I withdraw. Read the editorial.
Mr MILLS: Our response is to create certainty and to establish a proper framework so we can ensure these types of programs can be properly supported. That is why a framework has been established with a community consultation project which the Balunu Foundation supports and will be more than welcome. They said they would be more than happy to apply when that funding framework is in place. Probably a bit late, but anyway.
Mr ELFERINK (Corrections): Madam Speaker, to wrap it up very quickly, we are going through the process of asking various potential tenderers to assist us with putting together a tender for the boot camp models in the Northern Territory. Those tenders have been successful and I am very proud to announce that in the first meeting we had 47 interested parties. There will be another party in the Northern Territory shortly. We are proud of our policies in this area.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016