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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 4 Hansard (18 April) . . Page.. 1066 ..

MR STEFANIAK (continuing):

Another thing which I think you have to appreciate is that, even though you might not like the response, the response is a considered one. It was considered by the Cabinet of this Government, as no doubt you people considered it: The issue was looked at in Cabinet; the response was looked at. Alterations may well have been made to it. Things were no different in this case. It was looked at quite carefully. As a result of being looked at in Cabinet, the response is passed and is then duly given in the Assembly. That is what occurs.

Ms McRae: That does not improve it.

MR STEFANIAK: Ms McRae, I am not interested in your cheap political comments. You people did absolutely nothing in terms of education. What has happened now? You were the ones who were going to get rid of about 80 teachers, too, in 1993. Suddenly, what do we have? This light on the hill; this conversion on the road to Damascus; this complete turnaround, because it is convenient for you in terms of what you want to say about education. It contrasts very differently with what you people did in government. It does not ring true either. This is a stunt. It is also quite ridiculous. You do not send a report back simply because you do not like it. I think this sets a ridiculous precedent; it is absolutely crazy.

There is another point that I would raise, and that is that there was a motion that the report be noted. That was passed. Then, some minutes later, we have Mr Moore's motion which we are now debating. I wonder whether that is in order, whether that is legal and whether it may well be too late for Mr Moore. I suspect that it is, Mr Speaker, and we would ask you to have a look at that. That is just a technical point.

I would ask members to look seriously at what Mr Moore is proposing here. The Assembly committees examine a number of issues. They make recommendations - often political ones, because of the make-up of those committees - which often would be at variance with what the government intends to do or perhaps feels that it can do. No-one can expect the government to accept every recommendation in a committee report; no-one can expect the Assembly to agree with the government responses to committee reports all the time.

Ms McRae: But some analysis would help.

MR STEFANIAK: Ms McRae, I think you will find that it is quite clear that it is very much a thinking response. A number of issues are raised; a number of responses have been given. It does not say, "No; no; no; get lost". Going through the report, I see that a number of recommendations are accepted. A number of things are in train, and a number will be set in train.

Ms McRae came up with things like, "The Government is doing nothing in relation to IT". Ms McRae, you might pooh-pooh the idea of 180 computers, but 180 computers were given out recently to schools and were gratefully taken up. I am trying to make sure that they get more. What did you do? When we got to power a lot of criticism coming from schools to me was, "Well, we do have trouble getting computers. Yes, we are buying our own. Yes, we have had to scrimp and save". You did absolutely nothing about that. At least, we are doing something in relation to that.

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