Thank you, Madam Speaker. The other day, during the debate regarding collecting data on care leavers, I was surprised by Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith’s response. Referring specifically to what I had said about the importance of data, the minister said, ‘She makes it sound like it is really easy’. The minister also said, ‘We cannot force them to provide us with data’. ‘They would … need to … be willing to engage in that process’. To me, this was a sign of defeat. When somethi

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I bring this motion before the Assembly today on behalf of young people in the care and protection system – as well as many dedicated carers, youth workers, caseworkers, and others who do their best to provide stability to these young people in the present and give them hope for the future. The care and protection system is for children and young people who have been removed from their birth families. In the ACT, about 30 per cent of these kids are A

Thank you, Madam Speaker, I rise to speak today about our domestic and family violence frontline services. In my position, I am privileged to work with and hear from such people and I have been receiving two consistent messages. Frontline domestic and family violence services are being underfunded and that the money going toward training every single ACT public servant is a questionable priority. At the time of the announcement of the Safer Families Levy, the news received wi