Page 2308 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 5 June 2013
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MS GALLAGHER: Thank you, Mr Assistant Speaker. What the opposition fail to understand—and they never listen to this point—is that indexation that flows from the commonwealth to the states is determined by the states and territories’ indexation of their own system. We have seen the Victorian and the New South Wales governments cut their indexation. They have cut it to 1.6 per cent in New South Wales and 1.2 per cent in Victoria. That constitutes 60 per cent of the standard that is used to provide indexation from the commonwealth to the states. Through that process, through those cuts in the states, indexation from the commonwealth was going to reduce from 5.6 per cent to below three per cent.
What we have done is lock in indexation at a rate that will guarantee funding certainty to schools. The independent schools seem comfortable with the agreement reached. The Catholic system schools seem comfortable with the agreement reached and the government schools are. It is only the Liberal Party here in Canberra that are complaining about the national education reform agreement. I have spoken with the Catholic Education Office. I have met with the AIS, and they did have concerns around the indexation arrangements, but I have since received correspondence from them where they urge the government to index at three per cent, which this budget does. I have met with the AEU over it. All of those people who represent the school system here in the ACT are supportive and have accepted that the funding certainty that has arisen from signing the agreement is good for their schools. The only people running this crazy line that $31 million is being cut are the Canberra Liberals.
MR SESELJA (Brindabella) (3.59): The Chief Minister’s speech is breathtaking—breathtaking in its hypocrisy and its dishonesty. I think she actually believes that she is honest. Yet we see at every election another lie. In 2004 this Chief Minister said that she would not close any schools. They closed 23. She looked people in the eye and said they would not be closing schools. They closed 23. In 2008 she hid her plans to buy Calvary hospital, despite saying that all her plans were on the table.
Mr Gentleman: On a point of order, Mr Assistant Speaker—
MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Mr Seselja, resume your seat.
MR SESELJA: Can we stop the clock, Mr Assistant Speaker?
MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Yes, please stop the clock.
Mr Gentleman: We just had a ruling a moment ago on props in the Assembly. Mr Seselja is waving a prop around in the chamber. I would ask that he not be allowed to wave a prop around in the chamber.
MR SESELJA: On the point of order, this is a document that I will be reading from and seeking to table. It is not a prop.
MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Carry on, Mr Seselja. Can we start the clock again?
MR SESELJA: I know they do not like this particular document because it puts the lie to what the Chief Minister was just saying. She claims that we did not actually say
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