Page 2209 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 16 August 2006

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

---

That committee is to examine matters relating to early childhood education and care, which relates to preschools. The committee is also to examine matters related to primary schools, which are being closed, secondary schools, which are probably being closed, and post-secondary schools, which I assume means colleges although they could be included in secondary, which are at risk of closure. The committee is the appropriate body to undertake what the people of Canberra have asked, through Dr Foskey, that is, that a comprehensive review of all government schools be undertaken.

So the minister has two choices. He can table his review, which means another review need not occur, or he can let occur what the people have asked for. That is not an unreasonable request. I believe we should support this motion. Clearly the government is not hearing what the people want. A number of people are saying, “We are not entirely against school closures; we just want to know that we are getting it right. We want the review to occur. The appropriate body to do that is the Standing Committee on Education, Training and Young People.” The minister and the government should accede to that request.

The government says it is not afraid, it is not worried and it is taking courageous steps. It should have the courage to refer these petitions to the committee and let the committee inquire into them. If this government really is courageous, if it is the honest, open and transparent government that it purports to be, if it really wants to know what the community wants, it will enable that standing committee to conduct the comprehensive review for which the public are asking. If the government stands in our way and prevents that from occurring everything it has said is not true.

MR HARGREAVES (Brindabella—Minister for the Territory and Municipal Services, Minister for Housing and Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (10.55): I move:

That the question be now put.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

Question put:

That Mrs Dunne’s motion be agreed to.

The Assembly voted—

Question so resolved in the negative.

---

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