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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 4 Hansard (28 March) . . Page.. 922 ..

MR BERRY (continuing):

been making a recommendation in relation to teachers' salaries that would improve or maintain the operating result. He seems to be suggesting there that we should be recommending a figure for teachers that could be cut from the schools budget. That is, in fact, what the Government is going to do. That became clear to me throughout the deliberation of issues which gave rise to this report. The fact of the matter is that no specific funds have been put aside for increases in teachers' salaries. In fact, any salary increases which are negotiated will come out of the schools budget. Didn't you notice that?

Mr Moore: But you are paying teachers.

MR BERRY: Mr Moore, I would not enter the education debate if I were you. You have sold out; everybody knows that. I would not even enter into the debate if I were you.

MR ACTING SPEAKER: Order! Just stick to this report.

Mr Moore: Watch, Wayne; I will indeed.

MR BERRY: You accepted the Government's rubbery promises as your own when you accepted the position of Minister; so do not try to tell us anything else. You are a mere shell of your former self, Mr Moore.

MR ACTING SPEAKER: Order! Address the chair, if you do not mind.

MR BERRY: You have gutted the principles. Mr Acting Speaker, we have here a situation where any negotiated outcome on teachers' salaries will, as sure as night follows day, result in cuts in funding to other areas within the education budget. Of course, the Government has got a different version of its promise every day you talk to it. It has always said that it is only talking about schools, but the Government created the impression at the outset that the education budget was not going to be interfered with, that it was going to be maintained in real terms. It never talked about schools in the scheme of things.

Mr Humphries: And it was.

MR BERRY: Mr Humphries interjects that it was. Ask the people at central office how they feel about those resources that have been taken from schools. Ask the college system how it feels about having resources taken from it. If that is not a cut - - -

Mr Moore: Where is your recommendation on that?

MR BERRY: It would not be a cut to you, Mr Moore. You are just blush free when it comes to hypocrisy about the education system.

Mr Moore: You have said nothing so far; you stoop to personal attack again.

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