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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 6 Hansard (14 June) . . Page.. 1794 ..

MR HARGREAVES (continuing):

This is not creating a choice for families at all. This is creating two classes of people who are attending our schools. People in the same street will be treated differently. That is just an abject nonsense and it is an insult to people out there.

This minister is the person who said just this very minute that they have got $40 million worth of educational initiatives out there because they have listened to the community. Listened to the community, my foot, Mr Temporary Deputy Speaker. I think this particular initiative was mentioned in the Estimates Committee report that we brought down, and it was one of the issues with which you and your colleague did not disagree. I am taking it that we all understood this bit. The one single criticism about this thing was the lack of consultation on this initiative. Nobody asked the P&Cs. Nobody asked the school principals. Nobody asked the parents and the families. What happened? These people dredged it up, dusted it off and put it out there. There was no consultation with the education community whatsoever.

Mr Moore: It was a policy.

MR HARGREAVES: I hear the Liberal minister for health over there saying you do not have to tell anybody because it is policy. What abject rot that is when something is buried as deep in Tutankhamen's tomb as this thing has been. You dredge it out, dust if off and bring it back.

Mr Moore: You raised it again and again. You always used to interject and say, "What about the school buses?"

MR HARGREAVES: Mr Temporary Deputy Speaker, would you ask the god puppet opposite to give us a chance, please? This initiative is ill considered and ill thought out. Furthermore, if it was such a great idea, why didn't the government go out there and have community consultation on it? I say it is about as good as their consultation on the prison at the minute. It is absolutely appalling.

This is a grab for cash. It is just a way of saying to the people out there in the community, "Listen, we are going to give you $400 and you are going to be a lot better off. But don't ask the bloke next door because he might not be getting the 400 bucks." Real time dialogue should be had with the schools, the parents and citizens and the parents and friends. He is pointing. Do you want me to point him out?

Mr Moore: No, you are right. Go on.

MR HARGREAVES: Talk with the parents and friends, and talk to the teachers.

MR TEMPORARY DEPUTY SPEAKER: I ask the member to heed standing order 42 and address his remarks to the chair.

MR HARGREAVES: With absolute pleasure, Mr Temporary Deputy Speaker. I will desist from being helpful henceforth. If these initiatives are indeed educational ones, why don't we talk to the educational community? Nobody is better placed to talk about educational outcomes for the kids than the parents. Nobody. Every kid is different.

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