Page 4875 - Week 16 - Tuesday, 26 November 1991
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Mr Wood: I do not know why you get that impression.
MR HUMPHRIES: Perhaps we will come to that part of the debate shortly. It does appear, to quote some poetry, that there has been some movement at the station because the word has got around that there seems to be a bit of a problem with non-government education.
Mr Kaine: Old Regret has got away and they do not know about it yet.
MR HUMPHRIES: They do not know about it. The horse has well and truly bolted. There appears to be something here that has got the Government jittery. I suspect that it is the moves that were announced yesterday by members of the Opposition to deal with the problem of inequities in the non-government school funding arrangements in this Territory. I think it shows that pressure does pay off and that the Opposition in this case has succeeded in gaining an important concession from a reluctant Government - and "reluctant" is very much the word I emphasise.
I understand, and it is open to the Minister to correct me if I am wrong, that there will be some sort of announcement during this MPI about plans the Government has to proceed with an inquiry into non-government education. He certainly indicated that earlier today, and I suspect that we are going to see details of it later.
Ms Follett: No, you are not.
MR HUMPHRIES: We will see about that.
Mr Berry: Seek leave to move a motion.
MR HUMPHRIES: I intend to. Give me time, Mr Berry. Stay calm; I know that a bit of action on the question of non-government education is a very exciting thing to happen. I know that you are a bit panicky. I know that the old knuckles are going a bit white at the moment. But do not worry; we will get to that matter very shortly.
I have foreshadowed a motion, which I understand is being circulated at the moment, dealing with the question of an inquiry into non-government education funding procedures in the ACT. I will not read that into the record, because it will appear in due course. I believe that this represents a very important step towards restoring a measure of equity to an area that thus far has not experienced equity in any large measure. The reconsideration of the arrangements the Territory uses to fund non-government schools is greatly overdue. While I was Minister for Education I moved, through the release of a green paper on non-government education, to look at this question. I was unable to complete that exercise because of the change of government, and I am concerned that the present Government might drop the ball on this subject if not prompted to take action.
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