Page 3633 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 20 October 1993
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Ms Follett went on to say that this motion before the Assembly was a political response to a political issue. It is much more than that. It is not simply Michael Moore and I who are concerned about this issue. As I mentioned before, it is many members of our community; it is the teachers who held a stop-work meeting some time ago and who intend to take further industrial action at the end of this month to demonstrate the strength of their feeling on the subject. I acknowledge, as the Chief Minister has said, that this was a difficult decision for her Government to make. It is also the wrong decision. Simply because a decision has been difficult, it certainly does not mean that it has been right.
I am very pleased that Mr Cornwell indicated that the Liberals will support this motion before the Assembly. However, he indicated that Michael Moore and I had perhaps betrayed the education community in not going further and amending the Appropriation Bill; but I point out to Mr Cornwell that Michael Moore's position, and my position, on education has always been consistent. We have always rated education as a very high priority both in our platform and in the dealings that we have had in this Assembly. Mr Cornwell made the very important point, however, that comparisons of our expenditure on our education system with other States and Territories does not take into account the quality of education that is delivered. We are talking about the possible reduction in the quality of education for our children as a result of the loss of these school based positions. I certainly welcome the Liberal support for the construction of Lanyon High School and schools in Gungahlin. I believe that we had that support clarified last week.
Mr Moore mentioned that teachers had attended a stop-work meeting and were going on strike later this month. In fact, the stop-work meeting held several weeks ago was extremely well attended by teachers and principals alike. A very high proportion of our teaching service was present. Something like 85 to 90 per cent of those in our teaching service in the ACT felt concerned enough to attend the stop-work meeting at Bruce Stadium on this issue.
Mr Moore: You would never get a meeting of the public service union with those numbers.
MS SZUTY: As Mr Moore has indicated, if 85 to 90 per cent of our public servants attended a stop-work meeting or took industrial action, then we would have a very serious situation on our hands. Certainly, the attendance at the stop-work meeting indicates that the situation is very serious from the teachers' point of view. Mr Moore also reminded us that a high-quality education for our children is the outcome that we want. That is the reason that this motion is being debated in the Assembly. Michael Moore and I have a very great interest in the high quality of education which has been delivered to our children and which we want to continue. The Minister for Education, Mr Wood, indicated that Michael Moore and I had taken a belated interest in education spending. The way that I am sure Mr Moore and I would respond to that comment is to say that we have not needed to respond before now. Now we need to respond to the Minister's decision, and we have so responded.
Mr Wood also mentioned that there was speculation around some time ago that there would be staffing cuts in the budget this year. But speculation is just that - speculation. We have to wait and see what is in the Government's budget before we respond to that situation. It is the Government's responsibility to develop the budget, not Michael Moore's or mine. We acknowledge that the situation will be
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