Page 2105 - Week 07 - Thursday, 16 June 1994
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Mr Moore: The lowest common denominator.
MR HUMPHRIES: No. For example, he called casemix funding the lowest common denominator. The Federal Government has spent $30m on researching casemix funding - getting it right to improve the quality of care; not just saving money, but improving the quality of care. Madam Speaker, that is precisely what has happened in Victoria to achieve a reduction in the waiting list, and it is producing dividends. That is what we are talking about here. Casemix funding is good news in that respect. I think it is most unfair of Mr Moore to describe it as the lowest common denominator. Those things are important.
Mrs Carnell has taken a courageous approach in putting before this Assembly an indication of her budget strategy. She deserves credit for that fact. Of course, she leaves herself open to attack; but she is doing a damn sight more than Ms Follett ever did in opposition, or anybody preceding her. I think she deserves great credit for that because we will see - - -
Mr Connolly: You reckon that this is the Fightback of the ACT, do you?
MR HUMPHRIES: Maybe Fightback has a lot to do with this up-front approach that she is adopting. I think that the research she has done will bear out that she has taken the right approach, and she has taken the honest approach with the people of the ACT.
MR CORNWELL (5.22): Madam Speaker, I was interested to hear somebody in the education area state that they were pleased with this budget. I think Mr Moore put his finger on a better and more appropriate word, and that is "relieved". They were relieved because there were no cuts to the education budget. However, I do not believe that they can say much more than that they were relieved. In fact, it is very much a bricks and mortar education budget. Some $14.2m has been appropriated in bricks and mortar, and $7.8m of that is for the Nicholls preschool and primary school. I do not really see that as purely education expenditure. It is certainly preparing for education; but you cannot claim that it is education expenditure, any more than you can in some of the area upgrades, although I do admit that they will assist in the science and technology training that goes on in our schools. I might also say, in fairness, that I am delighted to see that $335,000 has been given for the co-location, Mr Humphries, of the Yarralumla Montessori School. How long have we been waiting for that? Quite some time. I commend the Government for that step.
However, let us not be fooled by a sense of false security about this education budget. I suggest that not only the players in education but also anybody interested in education should really be profoundly dissatisfied with what this Labor Government has done. In order to demonstrate how dissatisfied we should be, I could do no better than to read from a letter written not by me but by the Council of Parents and Citizens Associations Inc. to the Minister, Mr Wood. I quote:
There is now hard evidence that a significant proportion of students in ACT government schools are not being well served in literacy and numeracy development.
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