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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 1 Hansard (19 February) . . Page.. 123 ..

MR STEFANIAK (continuing):

I would suggest to the Friends of SWOW Inc. that it probably is rather sensible if they rethink where they are going from here. They might like to start being a little more conciliatory and start putting out some feelers for some really sensible discussions with the Government. Unfortunately, the actions we have seen in the last few weeks really are not conducive to that. Indeed, from some of the reports I got in that first week on what happened at SWOW, Braddon, it was more like a group of Red Guards taking over Peking University during the great Cultural Revolution. I was quite horrified to hear of some of the incidents there. I think there needs to be a little bit of give by the other side, Ms McRae. We will see what happens there. If there is, there might well be some benefit to be gained in discussions. There certainly had been a considerable amount of discussion up until that point, and there is obviously discussion, as I said to Ms Tucker, in relation to the relocation of those people who want to go to Dickson.

MS McRAE: By way of supplementary question: Minister, I in no way ever asked for any opinion of yours on the behaviour of the Friends of SWOW or anyone else. The question I asked was in relation to the cost of court hearings, and I trust that you will pass that on. In the course of that information, I would also like to know the cost of a professional mediator who could have been engaged instead. I do not accept that you are in a situation where you are simply following a court requirement. It is up to the department to settle this out of court and it is up to you to determine that it can be settled out of court. I need the amount the Government has spent thus far on legal costs, the costs of alternative mediation, and some course of action which does not put the Friends of SWOW in a situation where they may lose property and personal belongings and money because of your intransigent attitude.

MR STEFANIAK: As I indicated earlier, Ms McRae, I think you have the wrong end of the stick there. It is not the Government or the department that is being intransigent. We did not bring the court action. The department has a right and a duty to run its education system as best it can. Quite clearly, what has occurred at SWOW, Braddon, in the last few weeks does not augur very well for anyone trying to run that site effectively for the benefit of the children there. There seem to have been some horrible deviations by a few people there from the original intentions of SWOW and what it was all about. I think that is what needs to be looked at. As I said, if there is anything to be gained by any further discussions or by using a mediator, I will certainly look at that, and the department will look at that.

But remember two points, Ms McRae: We did not bring the court action - - -

Ms McRae: But you can stop it.

MR STEFANIAK: No, we cannot. We can stop it by capitulating, but that would not be in the interests of the students. It takes two to tango, Ms McRae. One side cannot do all the giving; there has to be give and take, and sensible give and take. Our second point is that we have a duty to run an education system for the benefit of all our students. You know that yourself. If you are in my position one day, I know you will be doing exactly the same thing. The interests of the students are absolutely paramount,

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