Dr ANDREW McDONALD (Macquarie Fields—Parliamentary Secretary) [12.12 p.m.]: I move:

That this House:

(1) congratulates the Premier on the $6 million package for the expansion of early intervention services for children with autism, including an autism-specific childcare centre in western Sydney;

(2) notes that the number of children diagnosed with autism in New South Wales is on the rise;

(3) notes that the earlier intervention in a child's life is provided, the bigger the difference that intervention can make to help children with autism reach their full potential; and

(4) acknowledges that the $6 million package addresses these issues and will provide a welcome boost to early intervention services.

The diagnosis of autism is a devastating one for families. It often comes after much delay, heartache and uncertainty. Once a diagnosis is made, parents then want to do whatever it takes to help their much-loved child. We are in the midst of a worldwide increase in the diagnosis of autism. There are now more children diagnosed with autism—one in 160 children—than with cancer. These children will need increased support in our school system for many years to come. I note that 2 April 2009 is World Autism Awareness Day. Research indicates that providing the earliest possible intervention for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders and their families results in the most positive outcomes. The three early childhood programs that have been funded through the Government's $6 million package will add to the range of programs provided by the many organisations that give support and intervention to families with a child with an autism spectrum disorder.

Two organisations, Autism Spectrum Disorders Australia [Aspect] and Autism Behavioural Intervention NSW Incorporated [ABI], have received $2.06 million each to expand their current early childhood intervention programs across metropolitan, regional and rural areas. The Autism Spectrum Disorders Australia Building Blocks Program for preschool-age children with autism spectrum disorders is a well-established early childhood intervention program that provides families with support through special education teachers and therapists. This program involves teachers and therapists in both centre-based and home-based settings for 120 hours and 60 hours per year respectively. Building Blocks, which often runs over two terms, is a best-practice intervention. This program provides support to families in managing behaviour, preparing for preschool, and teaching play, communication, self-help and fine and gross motor skills. It also provides practical solutions for day-to-day difficulties, such as tantrums, toileting and communication.

The new funding is enabling Autism Spectrum Disorders Australia to provide the Building Blocks Program, which started in July 2008, across three locations. The program is located at Ashfield and Lapstone and in the second to fourth years of funding will also be on the far North Coast. The number of families accessing the established Building Blocks Program at Ashfield Infants Home will total 16—12 in two centre-based programs and four in home-based settings. A new Building Blocks Program at Lapstone Preschool will cater for 16 children also—12 in two centre-based programs and four in home-based settings. The New South Government will provide the 30 Building Blocks places located on the far North Coast at centres in Lismore, Casino, Ballina, Byron Bay and Tweed Heads in July 2009, when the current Australian Government funding for these programs under Invest to Grow ends.

Further, the first year of funding—July 2008 to June 2009—has allowed families to access AutismPro, an innovative web-based program designed to complement and enhance other early childhood intervention services, including Building Blocks. AutismPro is based on the knowledge and experience of leading international autism educational researchers and practitioners with backgrounds in major autism educational models. It provides detailed activity plans for parents to choose from in order to help their child progress. These activity plans cover social, emotional, communication, receptive language, expressive language, cognitive and academic skills, independence, and fine and gross motor skills. Parents select the areas of greatest need and are able to track their child's progress to match their developmental needs.

Priority for AutismPro is being given to families in rural, remote and regional areas, as they have limited opportunity to access centre-based and home-based early intervention programs. In the first six months of this program 50 families statewide have been issued licences to access AutismPro. The 20-week pilot program provided by Autism Behavioural Intervention NSW for preschool children aims to reduce challenging behaviours and to enhance positive social behaviours at home or in community-based preschool and childcare centres. Autism Behavioural Intervention NSW was funded by the Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care in 2006 to trial this program in its metropolitan north and metropolitan south regions during 2007-08. An external evaluation of the program late in 2007 showed that families reported positive experiences and results for their children. The program will continue in the metropolitan north and metropolitan south regions and will be extended into the department's southern region in 2009.

It is expected that up to 300 children with autism and their families will benefit from Autism Behavioural Intervention NSW programs over the four-year funding period. This will include 120 in the metropolitan south region, 120 in the metropolitan north region and 60 in the southern region. The two programs outlined will have a significant impact on the supports provided for families with a child with autism spectrum disorder. What we learn from these programs will help us to continue to develop interventions and supports that work for children with autism spectrum disorders and their families. The Rudd Government has now provided Federal funding to help families. Families can now receive $6,000 worth of therapy for two years for early intervention—identical to Building Blocks—once a diagnosis of autism is confirmed. This is usually provided by a multidisciplinary-specific autism clinic. Autism Spectrum Disorders Australia manages both the Autism Advisor Program and Building Blocks. I recommend to all members the CD produced for the Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care last year on autism. I note in my electorate that the Kids of Macarthur Health Foundation provided this CD free of charge to all families in Macarthur.

As has been indicated previously, the third organisation to receive funding under this initiative is experiencing difficulties in relation to identifying suitable premises in which to establish an autism-specific childcare centre. This is a different issue from the other programs, which integrate into the home or existing preschool centres. Should this prevent the organisation from delivering the funded program, the Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care has indicated that it will identify an alternative provider to deliver the program. Some things should be above politics. The care of children with autism is one such issue. One of the difficulties with autism is that every child is different and the diagnostic work-up for every child with autism is time consuming and very difficult to do; it requires the significant expertise of a multidisciplinary team.

Similarly, every child requires individualised therapy. The therapy requires considerable training to administer, and while there are large numbers of therapists there is always a shortage of people who are able to treat and diagnose autism well. The epidemic of autism is said to be multifactorial. There are significant improvements in the diagnostic phase of children with autism, and that is one of the reasons why there is such a demand for places. The therapy can specifically target autism now, but the diagnostic work-up is very complicated and requires extensive multidisciplinary assessment. As I said before, the care of autism should be above politics. I commend the motion to the House.

Mr ANDREW CONSTANCE (Bega) [12.22 p.m.]: Mr Acting-Speaker, I acknowledge that you and I visited a family with an autistic child in the electorate of Baulkham Hills and we saw firsthand the difficulties that that family is facing in finding services and support for their child. A motion similar to this was brought before the House 12 months ago. Back then, Morris Iemma was the Premier and an announcement was made in relation to $6 million in funding—which the New South Wales Liberals and The Nationals supported. At that time, as the shadow Minister for Disability Services, I issued a statement on behalf of the Coalition supporting the additional funding that the Government had made available. I also pointed out that much more needed to be done.

Certainly that funding was a start. However, it really only scratches the surface in terms of assisting families in western Sydney and around New South Wales. The Premier said at the time that the funding would assist 165 children each year. The reality is that every year 300 children are diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. In 2007 the first major research into the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders found that one in 160 Australian children aged between six and 12 years has an autism spectrum disorder—that is in the order of 10,000 children in that age group nationwide.

As the shadow Minister for Disability Services, I have travelled around the State to places such as Broken Hill, Lismore, Bega and elsewhere and met many families who are struggling with autism. They struggle in the first instance to have their child diagnosed—in some cases a diagnosis takes 24 months. Then, following diagnosis, the provision of therapy and early intervention services to support that child are often sadly lacking. Last year the shadow Minister for Health and I held an autism roundtable. It established that there is a greater need for research, policy and resourcing from government at both Federal and State levels, but it must be provided in a coordinated way. The State Government must do more to reduce the waiting period between diagnosis and early intervention. Again, I call on the State Government—as I did last year—to ensure that this year's State budget addresses that issue. I note the upcoming launch of the autism awareness campaign, which is run every year in conjunction with Autism Week, and I urge the State Government to allocate more funds in the budget to autism services.

Whilst the Parliamentary Secretary is the sponsor of this motion, as the shadow Minister for Disability Services I place on record my disappointment that the Minister for Disability Services is not in the House. People in the disabilities sector are scratching their heads about the performance of the Minister. Nowhere has he been seen or heard making relevant noises in relation to disability services, particularly autism. He is absent. He is very quick to issue a press release and shoot it around the sector, but he is showing no leadership—

Mr Paul Lynch: Telling more lies, are we?

Mr ANDREW CONSTANCE: The Minister has just rushed down to the Chamber. That is terrific. He is more interested in being the State Minister for Foreign Affairs and running off with the Green Left.

Mr Paul Lynch: Point of order: The member for Bega, as is his want, is telling this House untruths. More than that, he is demeaning what is a very substantive issue about disability policy.

ACTING-SPEAKER (Mr Wayne Merton): Order! What is the member's point of order?

Mr Paul Lynch: He is trying to devolve this debate into matters that have nothing to do with the motion before the House. Under Standing Order 76 his rant is not only irrelevant but an insult to those people whose children suffer from autism.

ACTING-SPEAKER (Mr Wayne Merton): Order! I think the Minister for Ageing, Minister for Disability Services, and Minister for Aboriginal Affairs has made his point. The member for Bega has the call.

Mr ANDREW CONSTANCE: You really are a sensitive soul, aren't you? You came in here yesterday and parroted a load of nonsense when your department has gone to the police in relation to drug concerns in a group home—

[Interruption]

ACTING-SPEAKER (Mr Wayne Merton): Order! The Minister for Disability Services is usually a very tolerant and patient man. The member for Bega has the call. The Minister will allow him to continue.

Mr ANDREW CONSTANCE: I am glad that you have turned up because I will be holding you accountable in relation to the level of funding that is allocated to autism in this year's budget. You are a sensitive little soul and you are not showing the leadership that the sector expects of you. You are not holding roundtables to discuss important issues, unlike the New South Wales Coalition, which held a parliamentary roundtable in relation to autism. Maybe you should start to pay some attention to the concerns the sector has about your performance. The Minister has demonstrated time and time again a lack of thought—

Mr David Harris: Point of order: The member for Bega is directing his comments to the Minister and he should be directing them through the Chair.

ACTING-SPEAKER (Mr Wayne Merton): Order! The member for Bega will direct his comments through the Chair.

Mr ANDREW CONSTANCE: Through you, Mr Acting-Speaker, you might convey to the Minister the fact that—

ACTING-SPEAKER (Mr Wayne Merton): Order! I do not convey messages.

Mr ANDREW CONSTANCE: The Minister is running a department in which 219 bureaucrats are earning more than $100,000 a year, yet all he has seen fit to do in the two years since the release of the relevant study on autism—

Mr Paul Lynch: Point of order—

ACTING-SPEAKER (Mr Wayne Merton): Order! I hope the Minister for Disability Services is taking a substantive point of order.

Mr Paul Lynch: It is a substantive point of order. It is three minutes since the member for Bega has mentioned autism. He seems to have completely forgotten the motion before the House.

ACTING-SPEAKER (Mr Wayne Merton): Order! That is not a point of order. However, I remind the member for Bega that the motion is about autism.

Mr ANDREW CONSTANCE: I was making the point—as the Minister would know if he had been listening—that it is two years since a significant study into autism released its findings. The only response the Minister has made in that time—despite the fact that each year 300 children in this State are diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder—is to allocate $6 million. I pointed out that the Minister has 219 bureaucrats earning more than $100,000 a year and that his funding priorities are all wrong—just as his political priorities are all wrong when he spends his time running off with the Green Left. It is high time the Minister started to dedicate himself to autism-related issues. I will spell out some of the issues that came out of the autism roundtable that we held in Parliament and some of the concerns in the sector. All representatives of the sector were present at the roundtable conference and many of the issues raised related to early diagnosis and the resourcing of therapy services.

The fact of the matter is—not that the Minister would know this—that in many areas around the State the waiting list for basic therapy services, such as speech therapy, occupational therapy and the like, has blown out to 18 months. To that end, the Minister is not doing his job. We will sit back and wait to see what funding goes to autism in this year's budget. Morris Iemma showed some interest in disability services when he was Premier. Nathan Rees has not mentioned the word "disabilities" once since he became Premier. He has appointed a loopy, lunatic, left-winger as the Minister responsible for the Disability Services portfolio and we are now seeing the results of that. That means that the sector is not getting the support—

Mr Paul Lynch: He is a bit sensitive about yesterday.

Mr ANDREW CONSTANCE: The Minister is a bit sensitive about yesterday, too. That is exactly right. He is the person who had to confirm in the House that the police had entered one of his group home properties at the department's request and that the department—

Dr Andrew McDonald: Point of order: I will have to bring him back to the topic of the debate, which is autism.

ACTING-SPEAKER (Mr Wayne Merton): Order! I am sure the member for Bega will refer to the motion.

Mr ANDREW CONSTANCE: The Minister keeps interjecting. He has all of a sudden shown an interest in disability services because I mentioned his name. He has rushed downstairs into the Chamber—

Mr Paul Lynch: He was actually outside listening.

Mr ANDREW CONSTANCE: You are so toxic, Paul! The Minister should get the message from the sector. It wants better work force capacity to deal with resourcing and better integration of service systems. It has been clearly stated that services in rural New South Wales are inadequate. Many families are missing out, which is leading to significant problems, including family breakdown, depression and so on. The Minister has shown no interest in the issue. I urge him to wake up to himself and to show an interest in the portfolio for which he is responsible.

Mr PAUL LYNCH (Liverpool—Minister for Ageing, Minister for Disability Services, and Minister for Aboriginal Affairs) [12.32 p.m.]: I commence by congratulating the Parliamentary Secretary on moving this motion. The shadow Minister for Disability Services' contribution has revealed why he is so inadequate in his role. He has spent 10 minutes indulging in a political diatribe against me, not dealing with the substantive motion before the House. He is undoubtedly sensitive—

Mr Andrew Constance: Point of order: The Minister has now about been speaking for 30 seconds and he has not mentioned the word "autism" once.

ACTING-SPEAKER (Mr Wayne Merton): Order! I will listen further to the Minister.

Mr Andrew Constance: I urge you to speak—

ACTING-SPEAKER (Mr Wayne Merton): Order! I will not make a ruling when the Minister has been speaking for only 30 seconds. I will allow him to make some introductory remarks.

Mr PAUL LYNCH: Indeed, if the member who took the point of order had the slightest acquaintance with the standing orders—and I concede that he does not—he would understand that they allow speakers to respond to comments already made in the debate. I have not only a better understanding of the standing orders than the member for Bega but also a far better understanding of the substance of these policy issues. His failure to address them in his 10-minute contribution is eloquent testament to his inability to deal with these issues. We heard a political attack but no substantive policy discussion.

Mr Andrew Constance: Point of order: It has now been a minute since I raised my last point of order about the Minister not mentioning the word "autism", which is the subject of this debate.

ACTING-SPEAKER (Mr Wayne Merton): Order! The Minister is aware of the topic of the debate.

Mr Andrew Constance: He obviously does not understand the motion.

ACTING-SPEAKER (Mr Wayne Merton): Order! There is no point of order. I am certain the Minister will direct his attention immediately to the word "autism".

Mr PAUL LYNCH: I am directing my comments precisely in accordance with the standing orders. The shadow Minister brought this into the debate as an issue. It is typical of his cowardice that he wants to raise this issue and then run away.

Mr Jonathan O'Dea: Point of order: Clearly there has been an attack on an individual member of this House in that he has been accused of cowardice. There was an element of retort on this side, but this place is not served by such personal attacks.

ACTING-SPEAKER (Mr Wayne Merton): Order! There is no point of order. This is a robust Chamber. The Minister has the call. Let us move this debate along.

Mr PAUL LYNCH: I have been trying to, but the points of order have slowed it down a bit.

ACTING-SPEAKER (Mr Wayne Merton): Order! Members are entitled to take points of order. Let us move along.

Mr PAUL LYNCH: I am not disputing that. I responded to your comment about moving along.

Mr Richard Amery: They are in a bit of hurry because the mother ship leaves soon.

ACTING-SPEAKER (Mr Wayne Merton): Order! The Minister does not need the assistance of the member for Mount Druitt.

Mr Andrew Constance: He does not know what planet he is on.

ACTING-SPEAKER (Mr Wayne Merton): Order! The member for Bega will cease interjecting. The Minister has the call.

Mr PAUL LYNCH: The member for Bega not only does not know anything about this issue but he is also personally offensive. He just cannot get his head around the issues.

Mr Andrew Constance: Point of order: Mr Acting Speaker, I draw your attention to the fact that the Minister has now been speaking for three minutes and 15 seconds and has not mentioned the word "autism".

Mr PAUL LYNCH: If the member stopped interjecting I might have a chance.

Mr Andrew Constance: He is just slinging mud at me, which is true to form for him. Mr Acting Speaker, I ask you to bring the Minister back to the leave of the debate, which relates to the autism.

ACTING-SPEAKER (Mr Wayne Merton): Order! I appreciate the timekeeping of the member for Bega. The Minister has the call.

Mr PAUL LYNCH: The Parliamentary Secretary should be congratulated for moving this motion. The funding that he refers to in the motion is an indication of the Government's continued commitment to addressing the needs of families who have a child with an autism spectrum disorder and to finding ways to improve the quality of life of children and young people with this disorder. That funding and the related programs are clearly provided in the context of Stronger Together, which is the Government's 10-year plan for dealing with disability services and the needs of those with disabilities, their families and carers. That inevitably includes autism spectrum disorders.

I confirm the point made by the Parliamentary Secretary—which is probably the most substantive ongoing issue in this sector but was completely ignored by the shadow Minister—that the agency involved in the child-care centre is having difficulties delivering the project. As the Parliamentary Secretary said, if that agency cannot complete it, the Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care will fund another agency to do so.

Mr JONATHAN O'DEA (Davidson) [12.37 p.m.]: It is pleasing that the Parliamentary Secretary has moved this motion. It is also pleasing that much-needed funding is being provided for autism programs. Autism is a brain development disorder characterised by impaired social interaction and communication and by restricted and repetitive behaviour. The signs of autism begin before a child is three years old. Autism spectrum disorders include related conditions, such as Asperger's syndrome, that have milder signs and symptoms. Autism has a strong genetic base. Other potential causes, such as childhood vaccines, are controversial. However, people with autism have social impairments and often lack the intuition about others that many of us take for granted.

While obviously the Opposition and the shadow Minister have welcomed the funding allocated to autism services, we note—as indeed the motion notes—that the number of children diagnosed with autism in New South Wales is on the rise, and has been for the past 14 years. I point out the obvious, that it took this Government 13 years to do something. As the shadow Minister pointed out, waiting times for diagnosis are still causing problems.

I have within my electorate a number of people whose children have autism. In fact, my family lived next door to a family with a young boy who had autism, so I have personal experience of it. A constituent of mine, Mr Sam Loricco, is a director of the Autism Behavioural Intervention Association of New South Wales. I am pleased that that organisation has received $2 million in funding. However, in our discussions, Mr Loricco raised the methodology for determining the number of places funded. While his organisation is receiving funding for a certain number of places, Autism Spectrum Australia, or Aspect—which I do not criticise in any way—is receiving a similar amount to fund fewer places. I am interested in the methodology used to determine the number of places to be funded and the amount provided.

Sam and his organisation are undertaking projects in the metropolitan north and south regions of the Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care, and he is going to Wollongong tomorrow with a view to setting up a service from 1 July this year for families in the Wollongong region. He raises the important issue that, because it has taken so long for funding to be put in place, many school-age children now cannot be helped with early intervention. On behalf of Sam and all those children, we would like to know how can early intervention programs, as great as they might be, be adapted to school-age children. A lot of children have missed out on early intervention over the past 13 or 14 years because the Government did not introduce this package years ago.

So, in addition to the questions the member for Bega and the shadow Minister for Disability Services posed about funding in this year's budget, I would like to know what additional funding will now be provided to organisations like Autism Behavioural Intervention or Aspect to work in the school environment, where additional money is definitely needed? By the Government's own admission, the numbers of children diagnosed have been rising for quite some time. Many children have missed out because those programs, which both sides of the House admit are much needed, were not in place. What is the Government going to do for the children who have missed out and who are now in the schooling system?

In the sense that the motion acknowledges that a $6 million package for expansion of early intervention services for children with autism in a number of areas in Sydney is a good thing, we do not oppose the motion. In the sense that the motion acknowledges that the number of children diagnosed with autism in New South Wales is on the rise, we agree. However, we do not agree that the Government has done its duty in waiting 13 years to provide this funding. The Government needs to address the holes it has left behind.

Mr DAVID HARRIS (Wyong) [12.42 p.m.]: Today I am pleased to support this excellent motion from the member for Macquarie Fields. As a person who worked in the education system for 20 years, I certainly understand the complications and stresses for families with children who are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Schools and teachers are getting better at working with children with autism. This is especially so for those children who are diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome. Better use of visual aids, music and specialist teacher's aides have enabled these children to better access mainstream classrooms.

I would like to mention the incredible work being done by the Central Coast Autism School. It provides educational services in conjunction with mainstream schools. In partnership with the Department of Education and Training, Wamberal Public School hosts two kindergarten to year 6 satellite classes. The aim of these classes is to prepare the children for inclusion in their own local school or support class. In partnership with the Catholic Education Office and the Diocese of Broken Bay they operate two satellite classes—one at St Brendan's Catholic Primary School, Lake Munmorah, and one for secondary students at St Peter's College, Tuggerah. The total enrolment across the Central Coast for children with autism school community is 58 students.

This morning I would like to build on what the member for Macquarie Fields talked about—two projects funded under the $6 million package involving Aspect and the University of Newcastle that will also make important contributions in the areas of information for families and staff training in relation to autism. The first project is the information kit for families. Aspect was funded in 2007 by the Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care to develop an information kit for families titled "Building Foundations, Autism: Your Child, Your Family". The kit provides information about autism to families of young children with autism and to the people who work with them. It has been well received by families across the State.

In order to ensure that schools and childcare agencies are made aware of the availability of the kit, Aspect has received a further $200,000 under the $6 million autism initiative to extend its distribution. This funding has enabled Aspect to print a further 10,000 copies. These copies have already been distributed free of charge to Department of Education and Training schools, Catholic Education schools, schools represented by the Association of Independent Schools, long day care centres, Department of Community Services funded preschools, family day care scheme and mobile services. This initiative will ensure that these schools and agencies are made aware of the availability of this resource from Aspect by parents wishing to benefit from its availability.

The second project is the Early Childhood Intervention Professional Development scheme. The Centre for Special Education and Disability Studies at the University of Newcastle received $500,000 for the further training of front-line staff working with young children who have challenging behaviours. In the 2007-08 financial year, the Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care provided the university with a grant of $153,300 to develop, trial and implement an early childhood intervention professional development course, titled "Preventing and reducing challenging behaviour in young children using functional assessment: Social and communication supports". This course has been well received by the 379 staff members working in early childhood settings across the State who participated between July 2007 and December 2008.

An evaluation of the course indicated that the training workshops were effective in increasing the knowledge, skills and confidence of participants in the provision of behaviour support, and the use of communication approaches to reduce and prevent challenging behaviour. The current funding is enabling the university to revise the course, incorporate an autism component, develop a DVD to accompany the course and consider the possibility of accreditation of the course as a module towards further tertiary study. The first course under the new funding is scheduled for May this year, and it is expected that approximately 120 to 150 participants will enrol. The course workshops are planned to be held at Tamworth, Newcastle, Hornsby, Canterbury, Bega and Bathurst. These areas cover all DADHC regions.

Mr Brad Hazzard: What about the North Coast?

Mr DAVID HARRIS: I have already talked about the North Coast. These initiatives will also help us to continue to develop interventions and supports that work for children with autism spectrum disorders and their families into the future.

Mr THOMAS GEORGE (Lismore) [12.47 p.m.]: I am disappointed the Minister has left the Chamber, because this has been a very good debate and it brings home the issue of autism. I refer to a lady, a dedicated mother, Traci-Ann Garrad, who made representations to me where she said in her letter to me that her family had suffered great hardship after 2½ years of fighting. It took a long time for them to find out what their child's problem was. The diagnosis came as a relief to them, as she and her husband were often left wondering what had happened to their little boy. He was enjoying life and suddenly they did not know what happened to him. He was diagnosed with autism.

That is where the problems started. She rejected that her child's life could be dictated to, and when the child was two, and services were not available to them, they set about trying a behavioural therapy program for the child at home. That program ran for about 2½ years and cost the family $1,000 a week for two therapists, the behavioural analyst and therapy items and toys that were required for the 30-hours-a-week program to be achieved. Their son also went on a gluten-free diet and underwent biomedical treatment and chiropractic care. Costs were more than they could ever afford on the single parents pension, and after selling every asset they had, including furniture and personal items, they realised they needed to borrow money to continue the program to ensure the future of their son and to build on his progress.

Halfway through the program they ran out of options and were unable to secure personal finance. Under the pressure of trying to create a future for their son, they decided to borrow money using business finance through their company, the Clever Little Secretary. Over the next year the business overdraft would exceed $40,000. The program continued until May 2007 when the funds ran out. During those 2½ years their son kept the family going and for one year Xander did not sleep more than three hours in any 24-hour period. The family was completely run down and had to seek support by writing to the Minister and making representations to the Director General of the Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care and to me.

I am pleased that the shadow Minister for Disability Services is in the Chamber, although the Minister is not present. In March last year the shadow Minister acknowledged that funding was a start. Indeed, he complimented the Minister on the announcement to provide funding but stated it did not go far enough. The shadow Minister, like all of us, has met families with autistic children throughout Broken Hill and Lismore. In recent weeks he has met people in my own office to talk about this issue. Although the announcement is welcomed by the sector, it does not address the difficulties facing many families, particularly those who live outside metropolitan areas, those in country and regional New South Wales. We need to support people such as Traci-Ann Garrad because they do not have the same facilities as those in the city. It is important that more funding and programs are made available to people in country areas.

Dr ANDREW McDONALD (Macquarie Fields—Parliamentary Secretary) [12.52 p.m.], in reply: I thank the Minister for Ageing, and Minister for Disability Services, the member for Bega, the member for Wyong, the member for Wyong, the member for Davidson and the member for Lismore for their contributions to this debate. Despite the disagreements, it was heartening to see the passion that every member of this place has for those families whose child is diagnosed with autism. We all agree on the need for funding from all levels of government for the diagnostic treatment and educational and support services for autism, for life.

From my own personal experience over the last 13 years in south-western Sydney, there has been a revolution in the diagnosis, assessment and treatment of children with autism. We now have four community paediatricians, all of whom make multidisciplinary assessments, which are world's best practice, all set up by the Labor Government. The $6 million is further evidence of the commitment that this Government has for those families whose child is diagnosed with autism. The school system has increased, and is continuing to increase, places for children with autism, as mentioned by the member for Wyong, and there is also greater support for inclusion of children with autism and Asperser's syndrome in mainstream schools.

For example, recently one of the community paediatricians from Campbelltown spoke at length with teachers from primary and high schools in my electorate. My final question is a simple one. We all agree that the need for autism services is going to increase, but why have we not yet seen any policy discussion of any sort from members opposite? We all identify the problem but what the people of New South Wales want to know is what members opposite actually plan to do. How will they be able to run a budget in surplus and increase services without cutting other services?

Mr Andrew Constance: Point of order: The member for Macquarie Fields is well and truly outside the leave of the debate. He is now embarking on a discussion about Liberal Party and Nationals policy when the debate is clearly about autism. I ask that you to draw him back to the leave of the debate.

ASSISTANT-SPEAKER (Mr Grant McBride): Order! The member for Macquarie Fields will address his remarks to the leave of the motion.

Dr ANDREW McDONALD: I thank the member for Bega for his interjection because, as he said, the debate is about autism, not about their policy. I do not think they have a policy on autism. For them, I do not think the two words can actually go together. That is probably why he took a point of order. Returning to the leave of the motion, autism should be above politics. This is going to be a problem for every government in the First World. Everybody needs to know exactly what any government plans to do. We have yet to hear from members opposite about their plans for the future of our children as the alternative government. The disinvestment by the former Howard Government is typical of their talking the talk but when it comes to walking the walk, they are found wanting. I commend this motion to the House.

Question—That the motion be agreed to—put and resolved in the affirmative.

Motion agreed to.