Page 1864 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 7 June 2006
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I could sit down now because that says it all. The education community has clearly called for better consultation. We are not here today because Mr Barr wanted to have a discussion about the future of education. Do not flatter yourself, Mr Barr, that we are here because of you. We are here today debating this because of the absolute, unmitigated failure and the unmitigated bad faith of the previous minister who connived and juggled the real meaning of the legislation to her own ends.
It was clear from the outset, over Ginninderra district high, that this minister proposed to close the school come what may, and every suggestion put up by the school community was cast down because it was not convenient. The school community was open to alternatives. The school community worked hard at putting together alternatives which they thought would be better for the community. They made proposals but every one of them was put down by this government because they were inconvenient to them.
Let us have a look at what we have got here today. What we have is a proposal in the Education Amendment Bill, with the amendments that I proposed to move, which is strongly supported by the education community and by education consumers in government schools across Canberra. Alternatively, we have Minister Barr saying, “I cannot be left out of the debate. I have to be seen to be doing something and I certainly cannot be seen to be doing anything that the Liberal Party might suggest.” So he comes up with a whole lot of weasel words.
His idea of consultation, which has been called totally inadequate by the Parents and Citizens Association, goes like this: “Tell the community.” He has done that. “Listen and consider their views,” which could be translated, in the words of Professor Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady, to “listen very nicely and then go off and do precisely what you want”. That is what this is about: these weasel words here focus on access. “Talk about openness and transparency.” These are just weasel words. There is no clarity; there is no definition here. It boils down to the Humpty Dumpty version of consultation. The minister says it is consultation and therefore it will be. This is why we should absolutely and utterly vote against this minister’s proposal and support the bill brought in by the opposition last year, which has further amendments proposed to bring it into line with best practice as it exists in the community.
Mr Barr and his government cronies are trying to have another attempt at pulling the wool over the eyes of the education community. The spokesman for the minister lied to the community. That lie was never corrected. That lie is being perpetuated every day because this government has proved itself to be untrustworthy. It could not be trusted because, before the last election, it could not afford to be truthful and say, “We are thinking about closing schools as well.” So they told a lie and the minister let that lie hang around the community. The minister let that lie hang around the community because she never corrected the record.
Ms Gallagher: You keep lying.
Mr Stefaniak: On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker: I ask the minister to withdraw the word “lying”.
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