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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 5 Hansard (8 May) . . Page.. 1781 ..

MR PRATT (continuing):

We will need time to examine in more detail the other 15 recommendations which have been discussed.

Mr Speaker, the destruction of the interest subsidy scheme will mean that a number of non-government schools will now cease to be able to develop their boundaries and capabilities any further. Neither will a range of other non-government schools be able to carry out further developments. Whilst they are well established, they depend on the interest subsidy scheme to be able to carry out further improvements.

So we see this as being a destructive day-a black letter day-for the ACT education system. The ACT education system, with 40 per cent of its students going to non-government schools, is in fact a rich tapestry of a combination of school capabilities in non-government sector and government sector schools. In fact, both sectors trade off capabilities with each other and apply lessons that each sector can learn. In respect of the government sector, we now have government schools that compete with each other to apply different capabilities to meet the different mixes that our students seek.

Parents in the ACT are entitled-they have the right-to seek the best schooling available for their children. Of course, all families are different. All children are different, and there are families in the ACT who send their children to a range of schools-at the same time.

Mr Cornwell: It is the politics of envy, Mr Pratt.

MR PRATT: Indeed, Mr Cornwell. So we see that this rich tapestry of government and non-government sector schools, with the different capabilities schools bring, has now been severely detrimented. That is what this recommendation will mean, Minister.

Ms Gallagher: No, it won't, Steve!

MR PRATT: Yes, it does, Minister. This ripping out of the-

Ms Gallagher: Declare your interest, Steve. Declare your interest Look at what school has bloody benefited the most!

MR SPEAKER: Order, Ms Gallagher! Mr Pratt has the floor.

Ms Gallagher: It is a clear conflict of interest, Steve, in Boys Grammar.

MR SPEAKER: Order! Mr Pratt has the floor.

MR PRATT: The interest subsidy scheme, Mr Speaker, is a fundamental tenet, and a fundamental principle, of the government's contribution and obligation to ensuring that non-government schools get a fair go. We support entirely the principles of equity and fairness for all schools in both sectors. However, we do not see any benefit in starving a number of non-government schools from the scheme they depend on for further development.

For example, Burgmann School out in Kaleen, which is an extremely popular school and has a waiting list of some years, will now not be able to carry out tertiary level, and

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