Page 1470 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 17 April 1991
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MR HUMPHRIES: I am a bit puzzled by the comments made there. I have met regularly with the P & C Council of the ACT since becoming Minister. Approximately every six weeks I have a regular meeting with the P & C Council's representatives. We have a very good discussion on each of those occasions about current issues facing the Territory. I am a bit concerned that that report in the P & C newsletter should carry some concern about that matter when no such matter has been raised with me. I met with them as recently as Wednesday of last week before I went to Adelaide to attend the meeting of the Australian Education Council. Incidentally, that meeting was to discuss with them the issues that would be raised at that council meeting.
I honestly cannot understand their criticism. It seems to me to be a criticism of the level of consultation that is going on on the part of this Government. I have had plenty of criticism of so-called lack of consultation; now we are getting criticised because we have too much consultation. All the things they refer to in the list that you read out are activities or fora in which the ACT is participating with the community in a debate on what direction particular aspects of the education system should be adopting - in other words, a task force on which there are P & C representatives; green papers on which the P & C and other bodies are lodging submissions; a whole series of processes which involve the community.
I honestly do not know what more I can be expected to do, other than to put these issues on the table properly and fairly, indicate what it is the Government would like to do, and allow sufficient time for them to be debated. There has been criticism as well, occasionally from the P & C Council, about time limits on these things. They have argued that limits of less than three or four months are inadequate in their view. I am not sure I necessarily agree, but I am prepared to take that criticism on board. In fact, in several cases the Government has extended the period of time for which particular submissions are allowed on green papers that the Government has released.
So honestly, I cannot say that I understand the criticism. I find it hard to see what more I can do in this matter, except extend indefinitely all the processes of consultation that are going on. We are facing a time of critical change. We do have to adapt to new circumstances. It would be foolish to let the status quo sit as the only way in which you could conduct a sensible and sound education system in the Territory. That is not acceptable to this Government. I think we have to manage the process of change through adequate and meaningful consultation, which is exactly what we are doing.
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