Page 3486 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 19 September 1990
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
The P and C Council pushed under my door last night a press release on this very issue, and a comment that I received from a representative of that council suggested that that was the next issue that it was going to push - this issue of private versus public. I, personally, would be very disappointed if the P and C Council sought once again to go down that very divisive path for our community.
Mr Berry: I think you can expect some disappointments from the P and C Council.
MR JENSEN: Well, it would be most unfortunate, Mr Berry, if the organisations were to bring that debate back again. We have been down that very divisive path and, as my colleague Mr Humphries said, if you cannot get it right you will make a heck of a lot of noise, as the people opposite are doing, and hope that some of it falls on fertile ground. You misrepresent a hell of a lot - sorry, Mr Speaker - a heck of a lot - - -
Mr Berry: Withdraw that. On a point of order - - -
MR JENSEN: I just did; I said I was sorry.
Mr Berry: Well, withdraw it.
MR JENSEN: I withdraw it.
Mr Berry: I do not believe you when you say you are sorry.
MR JENSEN: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker.
Mr Berry: I withdraw that.
MR SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr Berry.
MR JENSEN: It can hardly be said, Mr Speaker, that the Government has orchestrated this issue because it went through the process. This is a classic approach.
MR BERRY (4.06): Mr Speaker, as usual Mr Jensen has missed the point. This is an issue about patronage and favouritism, if you like, because what has happened is that the public sector in the ACT has copped the biggest kick in the teeth in living memory and it has been delivered by the three teams of the Liberal Government opposite. They have kicked the public sector in the teeth and they will bulldoze their schools and sell them off. At the very same time they are going to hand over some expensive land, which is after all capable of being commercial land, to a wealthy school.
It is not an issue of state aid; it is an issue of fair play. The fact of the matter is that there is not a level playing field when it comes to the delivery of education services in this territory. All that the Government and the Chief Minister have done in the meantime is peddle
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .