Page 4402 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 14 October 2009

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any other social infrastructure—no shops, no schools, no churches. Through early intervention and improved social inclusion, the hub would reduce the burden of government costs in the areas of health, welfare, crime prevention and rehabilitation.

In conclusion, I urge my colleagues to support this motion. The Greens cannot honestly sit back and wait for three months for a government response to the inquiry. They know what the government will say. They know in their heart of hearts that Mr Barr will not back down, and will not ever admit he was wrong. He has not done this yet and I fear he will never yield to the overwhelming evidence before him.

The power to do the right thing is completely in the hands of the ACT Greens, and I urge them again to follow through on their commitment to the communities of Hall, Tharwa, Flynn and Cook and vote with us on this motion. There is a line in the sand now and it is up to them to cross it.

MR BARR (Molonglo—Minister for Education and Training, Minister for Children and Young People, Minister for Planning and Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation) (10.17): The government will not be supporting this motion. It is a cynical political stunt. We will respond to the committee report in due course, as I have indicated to the Assembly previously.

In closing, can I again reiterate the government’s position that not one cent will be taken from any other ACT school to fund recommendations contained within that committee report. We will not be ripping capital away from any of the programs and projects that are underway in ACT public schools at this point in time, so all school communities can be assured that their present levels of funding for their present capital works programs and their present resources as allocated by the Department of Education and Training will remain entirely unaffected by any recommendations of the committee. The government will not be supporting this motion.

Motion (by Ms Hunter) put:

That the debate be adjourned.

The Assembly voted—

Ayes 11

Noes 6

Mr Barr

Ms Hunter

Mr Coe

Ms Bresnan

Ms Le Couteur

Mr Doszpot

Ms Burch

Ms Porter

Mrs Dunne

Mr Corbell

Mr Rattenbury

Mr Hanson

Ms Gallagher

Mr Stanhope

Mr Seselja

Mr Hargreaves

Mr Smyth

Question so resolved in the affirmative.

Mr Seselja: Mr Speaker, am I able to move now that this be listed for debate at a later hour this day?


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