Page 3386 - Week 08 - Thursday, 23 August 2012
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DR BOURKE: that I will not, as education minister, agree to a funding arrangement for schools which disadvantages ACT schools. I said that time and again.
MS HUNTER: Supplementary.
MR SPEAKER: Ms Hunter, you have a supplementary.
MS HUNTER: Minister, can you commit and guarantee to this Assembly and to the people of Canberra that no school in the territory will lose funding once the Gonski review is implemented?
DR BOURKE: I thank the member for her question. Of course we have not actually seen what the response from the commonwealth is to the Gonski review. We have already heard from the Prime Minister at the very start of this process that she guaranteed that no school and no system would be worse off under the Gonski review. And then we heard a statement earlier this week that not only will schools—
Members interjecting—
MR SPEAKER: Members, order!
DR BOURKE: Not only will no school system be worse off, but there will be more funding for schools. That means more funding under the Gonski proposals that the commonwealth government is bringing out—more funding for ACT schools and more funding for the ACT system. I am very pleased with that. Of course, as education minister, I am not going to agree to any funding deal which disadvantages ACT schools.
Mr Coe: Mr Speaker, I seek your indulgence.
MR SPEAKER: Yes.
Mr Coe: During that discussion, Dr Bourke said, “I’m not surprised you haven’t read my media releases.”
MR SPEAKER: Yes.
Mr Coe: To which Mr Hargreaves shouted across the chamber, “That’s because it’s not in Hungarian.” That sort of slur I think is unacceptable. I ask whether you would like to ask Mr Hargreaves to withdraw that comment.
Mr Hargreaves: On the point of order, Mr Speaker—
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Mr Hargreaves.
Mr Hargreaves: If it is indeed a point of order, I did not actually say that. I said, “Is it in Hungarian?” In fact, Mr Coe ought to get a sense of humour. That has been a friendly exchange between me and Mr Doszpot almost every year we have been here. If Mr Doszpot is in the least bit offended, I will happily withdraw—happily.
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