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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 7 Hansard (29 June) . . Page.. 2362 ..

MR STEFANIAK (continuing):

The Australian published a very interesting graph today which I looked at with interest. I have said on a number of occasions-and the Chief Minister has referred to this piece of statistical information-that the ACT proudly spends more on government schooling than any of the states. The Northern Territory does spend a bit more, but that is largely because of isolation factors.

It is interesting to see what people spend on average per week on education fees. In Melbourne people spend a lot more than anywhere else. The ACT in fact comes sixth in terms of what people have to pay a year for education. I think it is about $6.70 a week. We marginally spend a little bit more than Perth, we are in front of Hobart and we spend a fair bit more than Darwin. But the parents in every other state fork out more than what it costs ACT parents. So we are an inexpensive education system in terms of what it costs our parents. I think those are very telling factors.

We are a community that prides itself on its education. This is certainly something that this government has prided itself on. With this budget we effectively will have spent on government schooling about a $40 million over and above what we promised we would do when we went to the 1995 election.

I have already tabled in this place a report prepared by KPMG in March 2000 entitled ACT Department of Education and Community Services-A Review of the ACT's Maintenance of Funding for Government Schools. Mr Temporary Deputy Speaker, this document is on the public record.

The report estimated that, when you took into account the draft budget, we were about $37 million over and above our promise. The extra $3.2 million put in for the teachers' EBA takes that figure to about $40 million. This has been achieved at a time when we have had a rein in expenditure in other areas and after we inherited a debt of some $344 million. This budget, of course, is the first surplus budget in the territory's history. So it has not been easy. But despite all that, we have continued this strong investment in education, and that is crucially important.

Mr Berry mentioned a number of things. He talked about the Spence school. There were some 13 months of consultation in relation to that. We have had that argument before. I do not think anyone could accuse this government, and indeed the school community who initiated it, of not engaging in extensive consultation. In fact, if anything, it was probably a model of how to consult. At the end of the day the government accepted the majority decision of that school community.

Mr Berry talked about industrial relations. I think what we have worked out with the bursars is evidently satisfactory to both parties. Of course, the government has to abide by the law, and that is exactly what we did. I think the EBA with teachers was a triumph for all sides. It showed maturity by all sides. It showed that the union was prepared to take teaching into the 21st century and come to government and the department with some sensible proposals.

The government also should be commended for working with the union and the department in coming up with an agreement. In stark contrast with our cousins over the border, I think there were about two hours of industrial action back in August when the ACT teachers had their first meeting compared with 21 days of chaos in the New South

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