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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 4 Hansard (29 March) . . Page.. 1010 ..

MR BERRY (continuing):

Government is influenced by these sorts of things", and Jack did. I am pleased to see that, as a result, there is some activity around the issue and that the surrounds of preschools will be safer as a result. Mr Woodforde has been something of an activist around this issue, and has been strongly committed to getting a result in relation to the matter. I know that he would be pleased with the results so far, particularly because he pretty much led the argument in relation to the matter.

I am pleased now that Mr Hird has been recruited to this cause and, of course, has been recruited by a citizen using his influence through the media. I just wish that Mr Hird had used this sort of influence when the Government was facilitating the closure of Spence school.

Mr Stefaniak: What, and go against what the community wanted to do, Wayne?

MR BERRY: Mr Speaker, I just wish that Mr Hird had used his significant influence in relation to the matter then. No matter which way you look at it, Spence school was closed by this Government. All attempts to prevent it from happening were thwarted by this Government, notwithstanding those statements that have been made by the Government in relation to the matter over a period of time. So, Mr Speaker, I am pleased that now Mr Hird has been recruited to the throng of people who have been attempting to improve safety for children across Canberra, and particularly in Spence, and I applaud Mr Woodforde for his efforts in relation to this matter.

MR SMYTH (Minister for Urban Services) (11.22): Mr Speaker, it is curious that, after we return to the service of the Assembly, it only takes seven minutes for the misrepresentation and the furphies to start again.

Mr Stefaniak: No. It is about seven seconds.

MR SMYTH: No, no, seven minutes, I was timing to start.

Mr Berry: Mr Speaker, is "misrepresentation" orderly?

MR SPEAKER: No. It is not. Order!

MR SMYTH: Sorry, I withdraw it, if I am not allowed to say the word "misrepresents", Mr Speaker. The furphy that the Spence Primary School was not closed with the agreement of the community is something that Mr Berry repeats habitually, and he does the same thing when he says that we have cut education spending. I am very pleased that we have a report now from KPMG which says that we have actually spent $37m over and above what we promised during the last five years, and Mr Berry should stop spreading his furphies.

Mr Berry: Is "furphies" orderly, Mr Speaker?

MR SPEAKER: Yes.

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