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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1995 Week 8 Hansard (26 October) . . Page.. 2110 ..

MR STEFANIAK: Mr Speaker, yes, this Government is certainly giving support to the people of Charnwood and to people throughout the Territory in relation to education. That is the point, and I go back to the fact that this should have happened a lot earlier. I also go back to the fact that this Government very carefully ensured that anything that would have hurt that school did not occur. The numbers enrolling for next year at that school had nothing to affect them. They did not have anything like the Auditor-General's report, which came out about a week or so before people had to decide whether or not they enrolled at Stirling College. Nothing affected the enrolment numbers, but they were still down to 235. Then we had the consultation period - - -

Mr Berry: Ten days.

MR STEFANIAK: I went to one meeting, which I was invited to, Mr Berry, and I will come back to that in a minute. That meeting went through a whole series of options. The committee looking at the question of Charnwood went through a whole series of options. They argued it out fully and frankly. They certainly did at the meeting I went to. Mr Berry, there is one other little thing: I was not invited to that meeting a couple of days ago, because they wanted to decide that themselves as a community. You and Camilla behind you - - -

Ms Follett: On a point of order, Mr Speaker - - -

MR STEFANIAK: You and Ms McRae; all right, I withdraw that. Mr Berry and Ms McRae - - -

Ms Follett: Mr Speaker, there is no member of that name and it is unparliamentary to refer to a member in that way.

MR STEFANIAK: I will withdraw that. Ms Follett is obviously very upset about that. I will withdraw that. Mr Berry and Ms McRae went along to that meeting - gatecrashed it, virtually. I certainly was not wanted. The board chair said, "You were not invited, because it would be inappropriate. We, the community, want to decide it". So there they go, on their chargers, capitalising on the emotion obviously involved in this, and we had the farce we had here yesterday. Shame on you two; shame on you for that!

Mr Berry: Mr Speaker, may I make a personal explanation under standing order 46? I have been misrepresented.

MR SPEAKER: Order! Earlier you refused the Chief Minister. No, you can do it at the end of question time.

Mr Berry: No; I have been misrepresented. There is no debate on it.

MR SPEAKER: You can do it at the end of question time.

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