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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 3 Hansard (6 March) . . Page.. 587 ..

MR STEFANIAK: We listen, Wayne, and we are flexible enough to be able to assess the situation and come up with fairly quick solutions.

MR KAINE: I have a supplementary question, Mr Speaker. I think the minister's answer was: "Watch this space." Minister, what cataclysmic event occurred along the road to Damascus, or was it the road to Gordon, that compelled you to change your mind, some might even say do a backflip, other than your sudden realisation that an election is just around the corner?

MR STEFANIAK: I talked to the board, Mr Kaine. I said to them, "It's a bit of a shame that you guys did not come in earlier as we could have gone through this."

Opposition members: Ha, ha!

MR STEFANIAK: I am being quite serious.

Mr Berry: We could have told you to open two windows.

MR STEFANIAK: They made a lot more sense than you, Wayne. Mr Speaker, I think I have answered the question. They had some very good arguments. I do not suspect that their school is the only school, Mr Kaine. That is why the government has come up with this proposal. Also, we indicated as early as last year that we would monitor the situation and take temperature readings. As much as anything else, we indicated that if there were serious problems they would be rectified. The board was of great assistance in terms of how they could be rectified.

Mr Kaine: When?

MR STEFANIAK: "When" is going to be pretty quick, Mr Kaine. I think that I have indicated when these things can occur. As a result of all of those factors, what we have come up with solves the situation for Gordon. I must say that I was delighted to get some very nice messages back from there.

Mr Hargreaves: I got one that wasn't very nice about you.

MR STEFANIAK: What have you done wrong, John?

Mr Hargreaves: No, about you.

MR STEFANIAK: I got very nice ones. I was delighted to get them as it means that the very difficult situation at that school has been rectified. I might say, having gone through their school finances with them, that I was very impressed with how they run school-based management. They have some excellent programs for which they utilise money from school-based management and which have nothing to do with this matter. I was particularly impressed and happy to have the opportunity to go through it with them, Mr Speaker. That has probably answered your question, Mr Kaine, and I thank you for it.

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