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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1995 Week 7 Hansard (18 October) . . Page.. 1806 ..

MR DE DOMENICO (continuing):

This is what a can-do government will do if it puts its mind to it. Did we see anything like this from the previous Labor Government? The answer is no. Who can ever forget the front page of the Canberra Times prior to the 1992 election when Mr Stefaniak and I called for big bins? We were called environmental vandals by Ms Follett. We were called environmental vandals by the lot over the other side. Mind you, they have changed their minds since then, which they are apt to do from time to time. Mr Hird, yes, the Government's decision to sell compost bins to the community at cost was highly successful. It means that 5,000 to 6,000 fewer households will be dumping rubbish at our tips. That will eventually result in savings of money and will be better for the environment.

MR HIRD: I ask a supplementary question. Would the Minister consider continuing the sale of the compost bins in 1996?

MR DE DOMENICO: The answer is that the Government will consider that, Mr Speaker.

MS McRAE: Mr Speaker, my question is addressed to Mr Stefaniak in his capacity as Minister for Education and Training. Mr Stefaniak, would you please explain why you, as Minister for Education, will not restore the supplementary staffing previously made available to Charnwood High School? Do you think it is right for you as Minister for Education to allow a high school to operate with a lesser range of choices of courses than is available in other high schools?

MR STEFANIAK: Ms McRae, the schools that were getting supplementation were getting it at the expense of other schools. The advice of the Education Department was that we should not continue it indefinitely. Supplementation, as you are aware, is to assist in a number of things. Certain things may be missing in schools in certain areas - - -

Mr Berry: Like teachers?

MR STEFANIAK: Not necessarily teachers, Mr Berry. A school may need specific assistance for a period of time. In the case of Charnwood and several other schools in the ACT there is a need to supplement for a period of time to give them time to get back on their feet or to do certain things. Ms McRae, the fact is that a number of schools have been supplemented for a quite lengthy period of time. Recently I attended a meeting at Charnwood with the school board and interested parties. They did not see supplementation as something that could continue indefinitely. Ms McRae, it would be lovely if we could supplement many schools in our system, but unfortunately in the ACT our finances are finite.

Ms McRae: I am not talking about many schools; I am talking about Charnwood.

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