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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 5 Hansard (13 May) . . Page.. 1280 ..
MRS CARNELL (continuing):
We failed to meet the deadline, Mr Speaker. We did not get that signed inside three months, and we should have. We are getting better, but we should have. I have to say that, if anything, this process took longer than it should have, certainly longer than I announced it was going to take. So I cannot for a moment - - -
Mr Kaine: You know the next question. Why did you not meet your deadline?
MRS CARNELL: I fully accept that, and we have to get better at it. When I announced in January that we were going to sign a contract in three months and then it takes us four months, that does not strike me as a speedy process, Mr Speaker.
MR MOORE: Mr Speaker, my question is to the most put upon and beleaguered Mr Stefaniak as Minister for Education. Mr Stefaniak, I refer to correspondence received in your office, which was copied to me, regarding the issuing of maths textbooks at Kaleen High School. I believe you were informed that there are simply not enough maths textbooks for every student. Why is it, Minister, that funding to education is so poor that students cannot be provided with textbooks for basic subjects?
MR SPEAKER: Mr Stefaniak, I will ignore the inference of the "put upon".
MR STEFANIAK: Thank you. Yes, that is the first question today. Thank you, Mr Moore, for that question. Perhaps you could refresh my memory and provide me with a copy of that letter. I recall something about that. I would just like the date for that.
Mr Speaker, Mr Moore talks, as he did last week, about education funding. Mr Moore should be well aware - it has been said often enough in this house in recent times - that this Government has provided, in difficult economic times, a significant amount of funding for education. This budget alone had not only the CPI increase but also a number of other initiatives. So, in difficult economic times, I think that indicates the commitment this Government has to education funding. Mr Moore, I am not too sure that I have answered that letter, so I will take that part of the question on notice. Whilst I think I have seen that, I do not believe I have an answer. Off the top of my head, I cannot think what else has happened in relation to that matter.
I am aware, Mr Moore, that from time to time there are shortages of textbooks. I recall during the course of the previous Government that on several occasions there were stories of schools photocopying various texts because they did not have particular textbooks. Those issues, Mr Moore, have been around for many years. This Government has increased education funding. This Government has instituted a number of initiatives to assist schools in matters such as this. Apart from things like enhanced school-based management, we have, as you well know, instituted the schools equity fund. We have taken a number of steps to try to assist schools and to direct attention to pockets of disadvantage. In terms of that particular matter, Mr Moore, I will have to get back to you in relation to that specific letter. I do not believe that that has occurred yet.
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