Page 3853 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 16 October 1991
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"it's not worth doing what you're doing, not worth setting up something that's of excellence in the community ... you might as well give up and just join the general hoi polloi and let things flow along without any considerations of trying to do things well".
I think it is a shameful thing that a leading cleric, as Mr Humphries said, a man who should enjoy the respect of the whole community, would get up and address a rally and call the ordinary students of Canberra, the children of all Canberra citizens who do not attend Girls Grammar or Canberra Grammar or the AME School, the hoi polloi. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I went to state schools; I am proud to be part of the hoi polloi. Most of Canberra, in Bishop Dowling's view, is part of the hoi polloi.
The attempt was made to say that this is an argument about elitism; it was slammed by the bishop. It was an appalling thing for him to say, to basically attack the entire community of Canberra who do not attend these, as Mr Wood said, rich schools. The precise financial standing of some of these schools is unknown because they have significant trust funds that are not available for public inspection. But Canberra Grammar gets $927,290.12. But this bishop has said that if you do not go to those schools, if you are not part of those schools, you are the hoi polloi - the common people, the ruck, the herd, the ragtag, as that phrase is termed. For a bishop to get up and insult the Canberra community in that way is appalling.
Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, this Labor Government has not mounted an attack on the non-government school sector. That is what Mr Humphries would have done. This Government has removed the cushioning, which Mr Humphries said in his remarks today might be justifiable. From the man's own mouth, what we have done is a justifiable step - removing the cushioning, and the cushioning only. We continue to fund these schools extensively, and we have put back what was going to be a substantial cut to the overall non-government school sector.
Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, what this Government has done is fully justifiable and fair, by not attacking the entire community. The hysteria which is attempted to be whipped up is unfortunate; but most unfortunate of all was the attack, shown on the front page of the Canberra Times, by such a respectable and eminent man, on the general community of Canberra. For a man of the cloth to attack the ordinary men and women of Canberra and their children as just "the hoi polloi" - - -
Mr Humphries: That is garbage.
MR CONNOLLY: He said that they may as well "just join the general hoi polloi".
Mr Humphries: That is garbage.
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