Alexander Marc: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Alexander Marc: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:613;Page:9632] 
8.  
MARC ALEXANDER (United Future) 
 to the  
Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment (CYF) 
: Does she stand by Labour's 2002 election promise that it will “Invest more funding in community-based services meeting the needs of children and families and improve social work practice at Child Youth and Family.”? 
Hon RUTH DYSON (Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment (CYF)) 
: 
 Yes. 
Marc Alexander 
: In the light of the Government’s election commitment when will she action the call made in the report provided by Mick Brown 3 years ago that the department should contract out all tasks—other than those relating to the immediate safety and security of children—to community agencies allowing the Department of Child Youth and Family Services the time it needs to carry out those functions that are best and most appropriately carried out by a Government agency? 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: Of the 53 recommendations that the Department of Child Youth and Family Services is responsible for implementing—in the report by Judge Mick Brown which the member referred to—over 40 have already been completed and the rest are partially completed. 
Moana Mackey 
: How has the Government met its 2002 election promise? 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: More than 900 community service organisations will receive funding totalling nearly $90 million in this financial year. The latest Budget included an additional $25.6 million over the next 4 years for these services. We have also improved social work practice by setting up registration of social workers and investing significantly more in training. 
Katherine Rich 
: When Labour’s 1999 child youth and family election promise was to ensure that all State agencies keep accurate statistics relating to their services for families how does she reconcile that election promise with the fact that today the Department of Child Youth and Family Services is unsure how many children are in its care and whether they are enrolled in a school? 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: I would agree that that particular manifesto commitment has not been completely delivered. 
Hon Peter Dunne 
: In light of the Government’s 2002 election commitment has the Government given consideration to abolishing the Department of Child Youth and Family Services as a Government agency altogether and better resourcing the community and voluntary agencies that currently work with at-risk children and young people to ensure that a better range of services are provided to those needy young people? 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: No the Government has not considered that proposal. 
Marc Alexander 
: In light of Labour’s commitment to increase funding to community-based services does the Minister agree that the proposal for a family support services operational group within the Ministry of Social Development is merely another concession to the empire building of her colleague when this is exactly the kind of work that could be carried out by the community groups that the Government pledged to fund last year—and do it better? 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: No I do not agree with either of the assertions made by the member in his question. It is almost impossible to comprehend how the member could envisage an individual community organisation having both the mandate and the ability to provide an overarching family service policy in the way that is envisaged through the recommendation of the baseline review to be instigated within the Ministry of Social Development.