Page 3856 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 16 October 1991
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
MRS NOLAN: It is interesting to think that the figures are very much the same. As I recall, at some stage or other when I asked where the funding was going to come from for those two government schools, Cook and Lyons, you said, "In a sense, not from anywhere". Now we are aware of exactly where that money came from. It came from the three non-government schools that have now had their funding cut.
It is certainly discriminatory when you see the numbers of students we are talking about here. In relation to the three schools in question, my understanding is that we are talking about some 2,900 students. It was very interesting to hear you quote figures, Mr Wood, in terms of additional fees - for Canberra Grammar of $202 and $285, and for Girls Grammar $77 and $123. You said that it did not seem to be all that much money. I can assure you that to parents who pay school fees it certainly is a considerable amount of money on top of the fees that they are already paying. I am not quite sure what high school Grammar fees are, but I am quite sure that they would be very substantial and the parents would find it very difficult to have additional fees placed upon them.
Mr Kaine: They are about $3,000 a year already.
MRS NOLAN: I think they are probably more than that, Mr Kaine. I think they are probably in the vicinity of $5,000.
MADAM TEMPORARY DEPUTY SPEAKER: Can I have a little order in the house, please?
MRS NOLAN: I am not quite sure what they are. The fees that I am paying for a year 11 student are quite considerable, and I am sure that the Grammar fees would be more than that. As I said earlier, there were other matters that I wanted to raise, but I am aware that other members want to speak, so I will leave it there.
Motion (by Mr Jensen) agreed to:
That so much of standing and temporary orders be suspended as would prevent the discussion continuing until 5 p.m.
MR KAINE (Leader of the Opposition) (4.26): I appreciate the fact that the time was extended. There clearly are other people who want to speak on this issue. It is an important one.
Mr Wood: It has been a long time coming. They have stayed out of it thus far. They had two or three times last sitting when we could have had an MPI, and nobody proposed one.
Mr Humphries: Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, could we have some order, please?
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .