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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1995 Week 11 Hansard (13 December) . . Page.. 2978 ..

MS McRAE: This is the parents' perception, and you have some very angry parents out there because they believe that you are discriminating. They believe that it is your Government's policy - and I am talking about 50 students - - -

MR SPEAKER: Order! You are going to have a very angry Speaker here very shortly. Is this a supplementary question?

Mr Connolly: Yes.

MS McRAE: I am talking about 50 students. They believe that it is your Government's policy to close down schools and then dictate, against current policy, which school they will attend. Minister, why should students who want to attend Melba High, who live in Flynn, Fraser and places not convenient to Ginninderra High, be discriminated against in this way?

MR STEFANIAK: Mr Speaker, there are a number of students who attend other high schools in Belconnen and elsewhere from Charnwood. That has been one of the problems. Less than 50 per cent of the kids who live in that area went to Charnwood High School. That indeed is a problem. Ms McRae, the whole idea of what the boards were all about was to form a new school, just like Stromlo High School. I am sure that the new Ginninderra District High School will be equally as successful as Stromlo. The board, representing the school community, voted to amalgamate with Ginninderra High School. I thought that was quite clear from what the Chief Minister was saying in the Assembly when we had that debate, and the majority of members voted not to supplement. That was certainly - - -

Ms McRae: It is not the choice of these children to have their school closed.

MR SPEAKER: Order!

MR STEFANIAK: I am sure, Mr Speaker, that Ms McRae was talking about the Government's policy of school closures. This Government's policy is quite clear. Ms McRae might be stirring up a few people there, but my understanding, Mr Speaker, is that the debate - - -

Mr Humphries: Not Ms McRae, no!

MR STEFANIAK: No, not her. Mr Speaker, it was quite clear what this Government proposed to do, and what this Assembly proposed to do, when we had the debate in relation to Charnwood High. It is quite clear what the Charnwood board intended and what the Ginninderra board intended.

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