Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 1 Hansard (20 February) . . Page.. 231 ..

MS McRAE: Mr Speaker, my question is to Mr Kaine in his capacity as Minister for Urban Services. I refer to your comments in the Chronicle for the week ended 24 February 1997 in which you defend recent cuts to school bus services. Minister, I note that you, like your predecessor, claim in this article that the school bus liaison committee, which comprises representatives from ACTION, the Department of Education and the private education sector, is responsible for determining which services are provided. How does this claim reconcile with the claim made by the executive director of the Association of Independent Schools that the school bus liaison committee has never set the minimum benchmark on school buses and that this has always been determined by ACTION?

MR KAINE: Mr Speaker, I do not recall ever saying anything about this body setting standards. I think that what Ms McRae is referring to is some comments that were attributed to me, as reported in the Chronicle, where I was asked whether I supported the concept of reductions in school bus services. My answer to that question was the answer that I would give at any time to a similar sort of question. ACTION is constantly, as I have said already, on a number of occasions three days this week, seeking to improve efficiencies, while at the same time meeting the service standards that have been prescribed for it.

In determining when a scheduled timetable will change, I am quite sure that, if it affects a school bus service, then the advisory committee is consulted. I have no doubt whatsoever about that. In fact, I am constantly being assured that no bus service is changed without comprehensive community consultation and that, even after the change has occurred, if there are people who are dissatisfied with that, then further negotiations are entered into to see whether or not the dissatisfied customers can be satisfied. I do not know that there is any question of reconciling the two statements. I seem to have been accused of making a statement that I did not make.

MS McRAE: Mr Speaker, I have a supplementary question. Mr Kaine, it does seem rather as if it is Mr Stefaniak's school sport program that is at work in regard to the cuts in ACTION school bus services, with children having to rush home by foot rather than by bus. Will you concede that the Government has deliberately set out to deflect criticism of its policy to cut school bus services by claiming that it is the school bus liaison committee and not ACTION which determines which services are provided?

MR KAINE: You seem to be attributing that statement to me. It is a statement, I repeat, Ms McRae, that I did not make.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .