Safe and Connected Youth – Funding Security

For many years, Canberra kids under age 16 who flee violence, abuse, and the impacts of alcohol or other drugs have had nowhere safe to go. Instead, they might spend a night at the watchhouse before being returned to their unsafe homes or placed in foster care, solving nothing. I therefore welcomed the Safe and Connected Youth pilot project when it was launched two years ago, and the Canberra Liberals made continued funding for this program an election commitment in 2020.

In February’s Estimates hearings, I sought assurance from the minister that this program would be funded past 30 June. She said it would. Today, however, local media are reporting that ‘urgent funding is needed’ to keep the program running and that ‘uncertainties around funding’ are making it difficult to take on new clients, leaving kids in limbo, as I had feared. During Assembly business today, I stood to remind the minister of her promise and to call on the ACT Government to provide funding security for this program.

Click on the arrow button to read my speech.