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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 11 Hansard (30 November) . . Page.. 3505 ..

MR CORBELL (continuing):

This report covers the first step in an extensive research plan designed to identify infill sites for each district across the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) for their integration into future Land Release programs.

MR SMYTH: Mr Speaker, this is again the question that Mr Corbell keeps harping about.

Mr Quinlan: No, it is the same answer but it is not the same question.

MR SMYTH: It is the same question. It is about the audit that is currently being done. If he wants to refer to the government's intention, it is quite clearly there in the land release program. Since that was started the Chief Minister has made the determination-and announced it to the public and to this Assembly-that we will not be developing designated urban open space. Unlike those opposite, who in the lead-up to their preselection indulged in a bit of internal argy-bargy where Mr Corbell has been assaulting the reputation of Mr Wood as planning minister and owning up on Mr Wood's behalf to all his planning mistakes, this government is determined to save urban open space as is appropriate.

That is why we have 24 action plans that are completed and in place. That is why Mr Humphries as the former planning and environment minister shifted a town centre. That is why we are not going ahead now with the new town at Jerrabomberra. That is why we will not be building townhouses on Tuggeranong Homestead as Bill Wood intended. And that is why we have set aside another hundred hectares of yellow box-redgum grassy woodlands to go back into the reserve system.

MR SPEAKER: Is there a supplementary question?

Mr Corbell: I was going to ask a supplementary question, Mr Speaker, but I am afraid I just keep getting the same answer so I will not ask it.

MR HIRD: My question is to the Minister for Education, Mr Stefaniak. Has the minister seen a report in the Australian newspaper that the New South Wales Labor-Labor-government is preparing league tables which compare the performance of government schools with that of non-government schools for year 12 students? What is the minister's view of this report? Is the ACT government considering the release of similar tables?

MR STEFANIAK: Mr Hird's question is timely, Mr Speaker. It is most apt at this time as the so-called league tables have been a controversial issue in the ACT over the last few months. I have seen the report to which Mr Hird referred. I must say that I was rather surprised by the about-face by the Labor government in New South Wales.

As members would be aware, this government has been considering the issue of providing more information for parents and the wider community about the performance of government schools. Recently, we announced that we would provide some initial information to parents. We have given an unequivocal guarantee, however, that we will not publish league tables comparing individual schools. This government will provide to

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