Yet again the Labor-Green Government has adopted the Liberals policy and we are happy the Minister has seen sense and retained the A-Team. It is unfortunate that it has taken the government so long to properly acknowledge the benefits the A-Team has had for its students – we were convinced months ago.
It has been a long wait for the children and families who rely on the A-Team program and I am pleased Ms Thorp has finally broken her silence and secured the program in the immediate future. With only 15 days until the program would have been wound up, the Minister has kept Tasmanians in suspense and added to the anxiety of parents fighting to retain the program.
Families of autistic children and the Tasmanian Liberal team have lobbied long and hard for the retention of this program which has had great results and enjoys very strong support from the community.
Parents of autistic children have fought a sustained campaign and they deserve recognition for this. Along the way there have been roadblocks put in their way by this government but they have persevered and ultimately succeeded.
While we are pleased the A-Team will be retained, we will be scrutinising the implementation of this decision and we will continue to fight for improved services for autistic Tasmanians in line with the policies the Tasmanian Liberals took to the 2010 State Election.
Michael Ferguson MP
Shadow Minister for Education
Tuesday 15 June, 2010
Update on 18 June: I am shocked and feeling very let down on behalf of autistic and Asperger’s Tasmanians because it now seems apparent that we were conned on Tuesday by the Minister for Education Lin Thorp.
In the House, I congratulated her on a good decision and later released a media comment indicating that we will be scrutinising the announcement during the budget process.
It now emerges that of the $1.3m required to continue the successful A-team model and extend it statewide, only $100,000 has been committed and only for the next year.
That’s less than 8% of what we need.
What’s weird is that the funding is under the health portfolio not education.
The Liberals now withdraw our congratulations to the Labor-Green government and will be vigorously seeking a better deal and exposing the con during estimates.
What the hell is up with this ? It’s a proven success, has wide support, addresses a clearly identified problem, and is as cheap as chips.
Does Thorp have a problem with the A-Team ? If so what is it ? Or is she just too weak to extract a few miserable dollars and secure ongoing support ?
Why are we even wrestling over this tiny, tiny issue when it should be immediately and easily resolved and we can all move on to the bigger issues.
Incredible – but not surprising.
AUTISM – THE A-TEAM
[23 June 2010 11.11 a.m.]
Mr FERGUSON (Question) – Mr Speaker, in the absence of the Minister for Education I would like to direct a question to the Premier. Premier, yesterday in the House in my budget response speech I was canvassing the A-Team issue, and I expressed an appreciation to the Government for allocating $85 000 to assist the A-Team’s transition. However, I also expressed concern that there was no other funding in the Budget to demonstrate that there was an appropriation for its continued role in Distance Education Tasmania. I said in the House that the funding that has been made available is just 7 per cent of what we all agreed was needed. Your Cabinet Secretary told me it was a work in progress and, Premier, I am asking if you will assure the House that actual funds have been appropriated to truly continue the A-Team in Distance Education?
Mr BARTLETT – I thank the member for his question, and he is showing that leadership potential that he is putting about out there, no doubt about it. I take the opportunity to inform the House once again that over the last four years this Government nearly doubled to $59.8 million support for special needs within our schools, a track record we are absolutely proud of, and we will continue to deliver increases in resources here. I have always said that this Government would be data- and evidence-led, so while you were catcalling and playing politics we were genuinely assessing the outcomes of the A-Team program, and that genuine assessment has provided us the right sort of data and evidence that we should continue to invest. I do not have the complete detail, but I understand on advice that ongoing funding for the A-Team is contained within the Distance Education budget.