Page 1417 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 6 May 2015
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I keep referring to Mr Corbell’s obfuscation and prevarication on these points. Even though nurses have been returned to these special needs schools—Black Mountain and, to a lesser extent, Woden—he still also refers to the fact that they may, of course, revert to the original position. I am not quite sure what the original position is or what the ultimate intention of Mr Corbell is. I doubt if he knows. But it is evident that there is enough feedback from the special needs community, from the nurses, from the teachers, from the parents, that this is not the way forward for special needs schools.
The second part of my calling the government to action is to reinstate permanent nurses to all ACT special schools, with at least two nurses at Black Mountain School and one nurse at Woden School so that students with complex medical needs are not put at risk. This is not something that I am mandating. I do not know where you got the sledgehammer idea from, Mr Rattenbury. What we are talking about is what existed prior to this HAAS pilot being started. There were nurses in every special needs school in Canberra at that point. You had two nurses at Black Mountain. You had one nurse at Woden. I believe there were two nurses at Cranleigh and one at Malkara.
I am not suggesting anything that did not exist before. I am simply calling on the government to go back to the starting position. There was no reason given why we have got to get all these nurses out of these schools. This is not the way to go. There was no consultation with the community on why this should happen to special schools in the first place.
Have a look at the impact it has had on people in our community. I hear from them, Mr Rattenbury. In fact we have here today, Ms Jenny Miragaya, the branch secretary—
Mr Gentleman: On a point of order.
MADAM ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Ms Lawder): Sit down, Mr Doszpot. I have not called on you yet, Mr Gentleman. Mr Gentleman.
Mr Gentleman: Thank you, Madam Assistant Speaker. Standing orders require the member to address his comments through the chair. He has been addressing them straight to the member.
MADAM ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Thank you. Mr Doszpot.
MR DOSZPOT: Thank you, Madam Assistant Speaker. I take pleasure in welcoming Jenny Miragaya and her colleagues from the Australian Nursing Federation whom I cannot claim to have consulted totally on this. But, from what I understand, the motion that I am bringing before this Assembly is in line—I do not want to put words into Ms Miragaya’s mouth—
Mr Rattenbury: You are going to.
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