Page 2605 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 8 August 1990
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are perfectly happy to give without any cost to the Assembly. They want to contribute, particularly in this area of schools and the education system.
People believe that there should be full consultation. People believe that members of the Assembly should reflect the will of the people, not reject it. They believe they should have a valid say in what happens to them.
As I said, I believe that the Alliance Government has taken decisions it believes it needs to take, but the people are not convinced of that. Equally, in the community people have said there are other ways of tackling the problem and, obviously enough, the Alliance Government is not convinced of that. I think the answer is more communication.
That is why I propose to give notice today that at the next day of private members' business I shall move that the following matter be referred to the Standing Committee on Social Policy:
To inquire into and report, by 20 November 1990, on the financial operations of the ACT school system with particular reference to the following matters:
1. Staffing levels
2. Work practices
3. Resource utilisation
4. Optimum allocation of responsibilities between local schools and centralised administration
5. The need for school closures
6. Any other matters the committee may consider relevant; and
To recommend to the Assembly referendum questions to be put to the community giving options to improve the performance of the ACT's education system.
I do this because I believe it is the most beneficial way for all concerned out of the current problems we face. Certainly the members of the Alliance Government do not want to maintain an alienation with a large percentage of the community in Canberra who are totally against school closures. Indeed, the members of this Assembly have many things that we could be doing and I think to continue with the problem of school closures is not the ideal situation. I firmly believe the answer is more communication and greater consultation.
Why a referendum and why the Social Policy Committee? Well, obviously enough, we are the committee that is charged with the responsibility for looking at education. We have not yet had that opportunity. We have not taken the opportunity.
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