Page 1267 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 11 May 1993
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Schools
MR CORNWELL (10.22): It is a pity that the Chief Minister is not here to at least listen to my response to her Parthian shot, I suppose I could term it. Let us get a few things straight here, Madam Speaker. At no time in any of the interviews that I have conducted over this issue of surplus spaces in schools - let us be quite clear on this matter; it is surplus spaces in schools, not school closures - have I ever mentioned any school. In fact, one or two of the media asked me in relation to particular schools, and I said, "No, I will not name any school". I do know that a couple of members of the media who had the information - it went out in my media release - did quote some schools. That is their affair; it is not mine. It is certainly not the Liberal Party's. I might point out, Madam Speaker, that this information about the 9,072 surplus spaces in ACT government schools was not provided in the official census that was published. It had to be obtained by me by putting a question on the notice paper. Let us get that quite clear. So there is an obvious cover-up from this Labor Government. At no time have I named any schools. It is outrageous for the Chief Minister to suggest that I have a hit list of schools, or that I am attempting to close schools by stealth from opposition. Goodness gracious, you give me more credit than I deserve.
But I notice the sensitivity of the Chief Minister on this very matter, and why, because she has been caught out. She has been caught out on an unequivocal guarantee that she made before the last election that no school would close in the first term of her Government. What happened at Griffith Primary? Griffith Primary closed. It had less than 50 people. It ended up at about 34, as I recall, but it had less than 50 and it had three teachers. Furthermore, this Government provided it with a deputy principal over and above what was needed at that school. How dare the Chief Minister speak about quality of education in the government school system, because the provision of three teachers for less than 50 students, and a deputy principal, means that the money to be provided for those extra staff is taken from elsewhere in the government system. Let the parents, let the teachers and let the students of the ACT government school system know that. We do not hear that from the Government, do we?
This is the issue, and Ms Follett talks of quality of education. It seems to me that she protests far too much. This is very, very sensitive for Ms Follett. She is obviously very unhappy about what this side of the Assembly is simply pointing out to the people of Canberra; that it is not possible to have 9,072 surplus spaces in ACT government schools and to continue to provide the quality of education to which the people of this Territory and their children are entitled. This is the issue that obviously is concerning Ms Follett, apart from the fact, of course, that she has been caught out on this undertaking that she gave before the last election.
So do not talk to me about me naming schools or having a hit list, or approaching these problems with stealth from opposition, because it simply is not true. All I am doing is drawing the attention of the people to the situation that is applying here and the fact that we have an $18m overfunding identified by the Grants Commission in education alone. What you are going to do about it is up to your Government. You have three options, as I have said repeatedly. You can increase charges, or reduce services, or borrow. They are your problems, and I suggest that you address them with a bit of courage. I suggest that your Chief Minister take off her white gloves and start getting her hands dirty on these issues.
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