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Hornery, Sonia to the
Minister for Family and Community Services, and Minister for Women
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- Why has the Government cut the VisionCare program?
- How will the elderly in the Hunter afford new spectacles?
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Answer -
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- The Government has not cut funding to the Spectacles program, currently
administered by VisionCare.
During the life of the Spectacles program
over $8 million was taken from the Community Services budget to plug the gap.
This meant that there was less in the budget to allocate to other
programs including out-of-home care, which supports vulnerable children and
young people who, for their safety, have been removed from their homes.
The Spectacles program budget of $4.4 million this financial year was exhausted
at the end of February 2012. Government must live within its Budget just like
any family or business. Government programs must be financially sustainable.
That is why the Government decided to keep the Spectacles program to its
budget.
The recipients of the Spectacles program are worthy people, but so
are vulnerable children and young people in out-of-home care and other
Community Services programs.
The Government was not prepared to keep
taking the Spectacles program's overspend from the Community Services budget
and programs for vulnerable children as Labor did in government.
- Funding for the program will be available from 1 July 2012 when people will
be able to again apply for spectacles.
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Question asked on 28 March 2012 (session 55-1)
and printed in
Questions & Answers Paper No. 78
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Answer received on 1 May 2012
and printed in
Questions & Answers Paper No. 84
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