Page 199 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 13 February 1991
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I think it has to be said that this broadsheet put out by the Labor Party is full of inaccuracies and lies. In 10 minutes I am not able to go through all of those, but I am sure I will have other opportunities to explain the perpetual falsehoods that have been brought forward in this document.
Mr Berry: I was not in France all that time.
MR HUMPHRIES: Quite apart from exaggerating my one night in a French chateau to six weeks in a French chateau, quite apart from small things like that, the allegation that the Government would increase class sizes is grossly inaccurate and false. It is not the case that the Government would allow that to occur. The Government has deliberately embarked on its present program to avoid having to increase class sizes. Mr Berry should realise that class sizes are a function of the student-teacher ratio. By maintaining constant teacher numbers - pursuant to the formula for the number of students in the ACT school system - we do not need to cut class sizes. It will not happen because of our maintenance of teacher numbers. That is just one of the lies in this document, and unfortunately I cannot go through those in enough detail. I want to answer Mr Moore's point - - -
Mr Berry: I think you ought to. Go through them all.
MR HUMPHRIES: I will ask for an extension if you keep going on, Mr Berry; so watch out.
Mr Speaker, let us just address two things that have been alleged by Mr Wood and Mr Moore. Mr Moore was very quick to say that the Ministry for Education has failed miserably. He said, "Nobody trusts that department". I would like to quote and table a letter from a Mr Chris Philbrick, the secretary of the Curtin Primary School Parents and Citizens Association. He writes to me:
I am writing on behalf of the Curtin Primary School Parents and Citizens Association to express our appreciation of Dr Willmot, Mr M Sawatzki and Mr B Dooley for the time and energy they expended on our behalf during the recent school "relocation" negotiations.
In reality, words cannot express the appreciation that we feel for their unstinting support in the face of severe professional and personal criticism. Mr Dooley also had to suffer - - -
MR SPEAKER: Your time is up, Mr Humphries.
MR HUMPHRIES: I seek leave for an extension of time, Mr Speaker.
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