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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 4 Hansard (18 April) . . Page.. 1086 ..

MR BERRY: Will the Minister apologise to the Education Department staff he accused of theft? Will the Government accept that this entire episode has been bungled by both Ministers - Mr Stefaniak and Mr De Domenico? In a joint press release last week they were denying the issue. Will the Minister acknowledge his complete breach of faith to the Charnwood community in the light of his promise to consult before taking action? Minister, will you comply with those requests?

MR STEFANIAK: Mr Speaker, I think that if anyone should apologise it is Mr Berry. This is quite amazing. I would hate to see Mr Berry as a foreign affairs reporter because, if three drunken Russian sailors got on the wrong side of the Amur River in China, that would constitute a full-scale Russian invasion of China. Really, that is a little bit like this. Mr Berry came out with this outrageous claim that these bulldozers were dismantling Charnwood High School and that it has begun today. I understand that Mr De Domenico's department has put a fence around Charnwood High School and that some basketball rings have been taken. You check your facts, Mr Berry. At no stage did I accuse anyone of anything. In my part of the press release, Mr Berry, I said this:

Mr Berry has come out with claims that the dismantling of Charnwood High has begun today because two basketball rings are missing. I don't think this constitutes the dismantling of Charnwood High.

Mr Berry should be aware that any decision on the future of Charnwood High has to be accepted by Cabinet and the Assembly. His claim was, "There it goes; down goes Charnwood High". I went on to say:

Mr Berry has had a great week. He's been accusing the Government of cutting back on Youth Services, when I've been out launching a number of new youth initiatives in the past four days.

I can table that, Mr Speaker.

Mr Berry: Mr Speaker, the standing orders require the Minister to confine his answer to the subject matter of the question. I will read to you the subject matter of the question so that the Minister is clear on the matter. Will the Minister apologise to the Belconnen community for his failure to prevent the disabling of this valuable community sports facility by stealth? Yes or no will do, or maybe. Will he apologise to the education staff he accused of theft? They were accused of theft by the Minister's officers. The Minister's officers were the ones who said that they had been stolen.

Mr Humphries: I take a point of order.

Mr Berry: I thought I was given leave to ask these questions again.

Mr Humphries: Mr Speaker, this is not a point of order that Mr Berry is making. He is making an elaborate statement. We all heard the question and I think the Minister is answering that question.

Mr Berry: You might have, but Mr Stefaniak did not.

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