Page 4009 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 9 November 1994
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
I would discourage teachers from thinking that, where there are children with difficulties - and they are always there - they should automatically have someone to come in and take that child away from them for all day or for periods and look after that child. When I was teaching, I accepted the responsibility for every child in my class. That is the way that it needs to be and, in general, that is the way that teachers perform. We have a very good teaching service, and we have a generally good education system. We are all proud of the system. I think you would all agree with me that it is not good enough. We aim constantly to refine, to improve and to make sure that we are accommodating all the difficult demands of the day. That is what we are about; that was why I appointed MACPE.
I will finish on this point: Mr Cornwell seemed to lay a criticism on the Government for appointing this advisory council.
Mr Cornwell: No; but I will criticise if you do not pick up some of their recommendations.
MR WOOD: I heard you say very early in the piece that it was a criticism that MACPE had to be set up at all. We did not discern any problem in setting up MACPE; we did not see a problem that needed MACPE to fix it up. What we saw was the need to maintain our links with the community; to talk to the community; to consult with the community; to have a point of communication; for advice; for reference; for the consultation that the Opposition keeps criticising us for not having. Yet, on particular occasions, time after time, they attack us when we do that. We set up MACPE as one of the points of communication, as one of the points for high-quality advice. It is working out that way. To finish on a brighter note: I thank members for acknowledging that.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS - GOVERNMENT SERVICE
Ministerial Statement
MR LAMONT (Minister for Urban Services, Minister for Housing and Community Services, Minister for Industrial Relations and Minister for Sport): I seek leave to make a short statement in relation to industrial relations matters in the ACT Government Service.
Leave granted.
MR LAMONT: I wish to inform the Assembly of an historic enterprise bargaining agreement for the bulk of the ACT government sector which was certified today by the Industrial Relations Commission for the period to 31 December 1995. In fact, there are three agreements which cover all employees of the main ACT public service, ACTEW and Totalcare Industries. These are the first agreements signed under the new separate service arrangements for the ACT, and they reflect the independence and maturity of the ACT public service. The agreements conclude 12 months of detailed and sustained negotiations, which have been a complex testing exercise as the parties become more familiar with managing industrial affairs in the new devolved industrial relations system.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .