Published: 05 September 2016

3 September 2016

The ACT Labor government should be ashamed following an ABC TV program that highlighted abject failures of the ACT's child protection system, Shadow Minister for Family and Community Services Nicole Lawder said today.

"It's a measure of a state as to how it cares for its vulnerable young people and it's clear from Friday Night's ABC program that the Barr government has not only failed miserably, but that it has actually turned its back on the issue," Ms Lawder said.

“Minister Chris Bourke is clearly out of his depth as he demonstrated a lack of understanding of the cases, oversight structure and other issues within the system.

"The ACT Labor government has failed to act on numerous occasions over the past 15 years. There have been several reports on the issue stretching back more than a decade and the government has obviously been inactive. It’s nothing short of shameful.

"The Canberra Liberals are committed to fixing child protection in government. We will look out for vulnerable children, we will not ignore calls for help, and unlike ACT Labor, our Ministers will know what is going on in the system and will address the problems to stop further tragedies," Ms Lawder concluded.

Published: 01 September 2016

31 August 2016

Hot on the heels of Yvette Berry’s Spotless contract scandal, it’s now obvious the Minister hasn’t had adequate oversight of the funding arrangements for housing provider Inanna Inc, which is apparently struggling to fulfil its obligations, Shadow Minister for Family and Community Services Nicole Lawder said today.

“When organisations receive grants from the government to operate services, there are strict accountability and reporting requirements that must be adhered to. I have serious concerns of what oversight the ACT Government had of Inanna and how the issue has come to this point,” Ms Lawder said.

“It begs the question, what reporting requirements was the organisation supposed to comply with and why didn’t Yvette Berry and her Directorate enforce those reporting requirements? How long has the Minister been aware of these issues?

“Inanna has been delivering vital services to many vulnerable women in our community and it’s disappointing to see that the Barr government has not been able to properly manage its responsibilities to manage funding agreements.

“It appears ACT Labor Ministers are focusing too much on light rail and not on the people most in need of help in our community, not to mention adequate oversight of public spending.

“The overriding concern at this time is that the services provided by Inanna continue to be delivered with no impact on clients. It’s a shame the government has allowed it to reach this point. The Canberra community deserves better,” Ms Lawder concluded.

Contact: Joe Prevedello 0402 768 432

Published: 04 September 2016

The ACT Opposition has accused the Government of turning its back on vulnerable children, after an ABC investigation into the deaths of two young Canberrans.

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Published: 31 August 2016

31 August 2016

The Barr government’s decision to extend the Total Facilities Management (TFM) contract with current provider Spotless for an extra year until mid-2018 raises serious questions about governance issues, Shadow Minister for Housing Nicole Lawder said today.

“The contract which provides maintenance for public housing was awarded to Spotless for five years in 2012 meaning it would expire in 2017. This week, Yvette Berry inexplicably announced an extension until mid-2018. This raises alarm bells given Spotless’s chequered management of public housing maintenance,” Ms Lawder said.

“The Minister needs to answer the following questions, including:

1. Why was the contract extended from 2017 to 2018, given the Auditor-General’s adverse findings surrounding Spotless’s management of public housing maintenance? 

2. Given the original Spotless contract was due to end in 2017, why didn’t the government initiate a tender process for a new contract to commence as the current one expires? 

3. Has the government’s MOU with UnionsACT been followed as part of the contract renewal? 

4. Why is the cost of the extra year of the contract still being negotiated?

5. What role did the Minister personally play in extending the contract for Spotless?

6. Will the TFM be included as part of a new all encompassing asset management contract?

“Maintenance of public housing needs to be of the highest standard and there’s no doubt there have been issues with Spotless’s management. The Minister needs to explain lingering questions surrounding the TFM contract extension. Like many things with this government, it just doesn’t smell right,” Ms Lawder concluded.

Contact: Joe Prevedello 0402768432