Page 450 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 21 March 2023
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Ms Cheyne: Joy is a non-executive member.
Ms Lawder: Mr Parton is not seeking to ask a question. We are merely seeking to ask the number of questions which reflects the number of opposition members who have shown up today in the chamber.
MR ACTING SPEAKER: Thank you, Ms Lawder.
Look, advice has been sought on this and has been received. I am running question time and my advice was that nine questions would go to the opposition.
Mr Barr: That sets a trend, and there will be four government questions.
Mrs Kikkert: He sought advice!
MR ACTING SPEAKER: I mean, obviously if standings are to be changed in that vein that will have to be taken up with admin and procedure.
Schools—staff welfare
MR HANSON: My question is to the Minister for Education and Youth Affairs through the Chief Minister. I refer to a recent media report entitled “Staggering number of principals set to quit over abuse and bullying.” That report states:
Almost half of Australia's principals are at risk of developing “serious mental health concerns” driven, in part, by violence and abuse from parents and students. It comes as the number of principals seeking to quit or retire early has tripled in one year.
Minister, how can you recruit and retain school leaders in the ACT which has the highest threats of violence in Australia, the highest actual violence in Australia, the highest sexual harassment in Australia, and the highest risk of serious mental health concerns in Australia, where they have, as they say, work crushing workloads and 94 per cent of those principals believe they do not have enough resources?
MR BARR: The question highlights a societal problem. The opening sentence of the question highlights this is an Australia-wide challenge. It is one that will require parents, students, the broader community and governments of all levels to work together towards a resolution. Clearly additional resourcing is a factor—undoubtedly. This side of politics, indeed to the credit of the Greens party, have always been in favour of more resources for the public education system.
You cannot address in one year and in one budget a decade of neglect in education policy by a federal conservative government. You cannot do that. You cannot fix in one budget and in one year a decade-long war against the universities who train our teaching professionals. So what is needed is a societal response to violence; additional resourcing into the education sector; and, as I touched upon in my answer to Mr Hanson’s earlier round of questions, a discussion about responsibilities and
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