Ms CARTER - 2004-06-17
I notice that the Chief Minister has provided you with Budget Paper No 3, in which I am sure you have now turned to page 139, Child Protection Services. Going back to my previous question, drilling down quite specifically to the line item that says: ‘The number of children admitted to care during the year’, which has a footnote No 4, which I will advise you is exactly the same descriptive footnote as appeared in last year’s budget book. Therefore, this is exactly the same sort of product, service or number that we are talking about: how many children were admitted to care during the year? Why is it that that space there is blank for how many children were admitted to care for this year? Why do you not know, and why don’t you publish that number?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for her question. She is actually a week early. I thought you might reserve these questions for estimates.
Members interjecting.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: Look, will you button up! If you want the answer, why don’t you listen instead of carrying on.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order! Members!
Ms SCRYMGOUR: In answer to the member for Port Darwin, the reason why the statistics are not available - and if the member for Port Darwin could read one line further, she would know. All this misleading, it is like your allegations about the $50m blow-out in the budget.
The 2004-05 performance indicators are more useful than the previous 2003-04. Why we have put that, and what it says is: ‘The majority of measures are new and commence on 1 July 2004, thus estimates for 2003-04 are not available’. If you want them in terms of 1978 to 1988, there has been an increase of 223% in child protection notifications, and an increase of 171% of children in out-of-home care.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for her question. She is actually a week early. I thought you might reserve these questions for estimates.
Members interjecting.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: Look, will you button up! If you want the answer, why don’t you listen instead of carrying on.
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order, order! Members!
Ms SCRYMGOUR: In answer to the member for Port Darwin, the reason why the statistics are not available - and if the member for Port Darwin could read one line further, she would know. All this misleading, it is like your allegations about the $50m blow-out in the budget.
The 2004-05 performance indicators are more useful than the previous 2003-04. Why we have put that, and what it says is: ‘The majority of measures are new and commence on 1 July 2004, thus estimates for 2003-04 are not available’. If you want them in terms of 1978 to 1988, there has been an increase of 223% in child protection notifications, and an increase of 171% of children in out-of-home care.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016