Page 1614 - Week 06 - Thursday, 3 May 1990

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .


member of the committee was not present at that meeting. My recollection of that meeting differs from that of the other two members of the committee who were present. My recollection remains unchanged.

However, at the meeting held this morning, which all four members attended, the minutes were confirmed by two votes to one. The member who did not attend the meeting under discussion did not vote on the motion to confirm the minutes as he had no direct knowledge of proceedings.

The minutes, confirmed this morning, show that the resolution referred to in recent days was agreed to by the committee. The resolution was:

(1) That this committee call on the Minister for Urban Services to retain the Ainslie Transfer Station;

(2) That any moves to close the transfer station be preceded by:

1. full public discussion;

2. consideration of all environmental concerns;

3. a publicly available cost-benefit analysis.

I hope that this clarifies the matter and that public discussion will now cease, leaving any future discussion on this as a matter for the committee.

EDUCATION

Ministerial Statement

Debate resumed.

MR KAINE (Chief Minister) (3.19): Mr Speaker, if no member of the Opposition wishes to speak at this time, there are a few things in connection with this paper that I would like to say. Mr Humphries in his statement on education, which we are debating, has outlined the Government's approach to this critical subject. He spoke of the Government's fundamental objective: essentially the maintenance of the standards of excellence based on opportunity and choice. He noted that "the continuing excellence of the public school system is vital to the future of Canberra".

I think those things need to be restated, Mr Speaker, because in some of the debates so far there has been some suggestion that the Government is merely determined to break down the quality of our education system. Nothing is further from the truth. I repeat that our fundamental objective is the maintenance of standards of excellence based on opportunity and choice.

Mr Humphries spoke of the Government's intention to move to greater school autonomy through school based management


Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .