Page 194 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 13 February 1991

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into what appeared to the community to be a discussion on terms - a community who wanted to take it back to their parents association - we get a rapid move by the department who feel that they have to hurry up and get into Maribyrnong in case they get some trouble or something.

Who knows what their motivation was; but, whatever it was, their modus operandi was a disaster, and that is the problem. Nobody trusts the Education Department; nobody trusts that ministry; nobody trusts that Minister; and nobody trusts that Alliance Government. That is why you got a very rapid response and a strong response to have that picket established immediately - because nobody trusts you.

On page 3 of this paper these words appear:

The whole idea of a service culture, of a client-driven education system, has enormous ramifications for all of us concerned with public education.

Of course it has enormous ramifications. It has enormous ramifications because it is a move away from a cooperative system to a system where the Education Department is the boss and the parents are going to have to fall into line with the students, as the customer, as those who do basically what they are told. If you go back through this paper - remembering that it was distributed in April 1989, nearly two years ago - and look at how you have performed in accordance with that vision of service, even in terms of your own vision, you have failed miserably.

Motion (by Mr Berry) proposed:

That the question be now put.

Mr Kaine: I think that Mr Berry has gone right off his trolley, frankly.

Mr Connolly: I take a point of order, Mr Temporary Deputy Speaker. A statement from the Chief Minister that "I think Mr Berry has gone right off his trolley" is hardly parliamentary.

MR TEMPORARY DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Jensen): I do not accept that, Mr Connolly. The motion before the Chair is: "That the question be now put".

Question resolved in the negative.

Mr Moore: Mr Temporary Deputy Speaker, on a point of order: The normal procedure in this house, and the Speaker has made this comment on a number of occasions, is to take a speaker from one side of the floor and then a speaker from another side of the floor, rather than allowing a full side and then the other.


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