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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 7 Hansard (21 June) . . Page.. 2358 ..

MR BERRY (continuing):

The amendments I have moved today seek to remove $5.3 million from this line to ensure that it goes into our schools. That means a lot to the non-government and government schools. We want the government to set up a single zone system in place of the free school bus system and to put the savings into classrooms. It is disingenuous to claim that this scheme was an election promise, because it was not. It was stone dead at the last election and everybody knew it. It was not mentioned at all.

We do not want to hear anything more about the government's draft budget process because there was not a mention of free school buses in any of the submissions that I have seen or any of the utterances from the community. Nobody said that they wanted free school buses. Do not tell me that it came about by way of consultation, because it did not. It is just something that was dreamed up at the last minute. Because no department has put any work into it, you do not know what will be the impact of the scheme and you do not know how the money could be better spent, but Labor does. The Greens do, and they are going to support us. Mr Kaine does. Mr Rugendyke and Mr Osborne know where the money could be better spent and they are missing out on a great opportunity. It is another lost opportunity not only for the government but also for the Independents in this place, Mr Moore included.

I know where Mr Moore stands on this issue. I know that he is going to stand with the government. Who would be surprised by that? But the metamorphosis is complete, the colours have changed. From the pinko urban greenie, defender of planning and everything else on the left side of politics, we now have somebody who is as big a blueblood as they come. He has even picked up the rhetoric. I heard him a little while ago talking about three strikes and you are out. I do not know what it was in relation to, but it just seemed to me to complete the metamorphosis.

MR RUGENDYKE: (4.50): It is interesting to note how one's political opponents will stoop to personal attack. I can take it in the chamber. I will sit here and look you in the eye, Wayne. I realise that it is part of the argy-bargy in the chamber and I realise that it will carry on outside, but you can rest assured that I will not stoop to that level. I know that you will try to make political mileage out of it and criticise me publicly, as political opponents do, in the secret deals you make with the Democrats or others. We will never know about that, because they will be able to receive secret donations of up to $1,500. No-one will ever know about that. Neither will they have to admit to them, but we know that there will be deals like that happening. I look forward to the denials. I will not stoop to personal attack outside this place.

Mr Hargreaves: Just like the burnouts legislation. That was pretty low.

MR RUGENDYKE: Mr Hargreaves recognises that I have brought the community's attention to his views on his trust of the police. He does not have any; I know that.

MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! The member will address the chair.

MR RUGENDYKE: I beg your pardon, Mr Deputy Speaker. I shall address you. My political opponents have seized upon selected parts of a report that I did in good faith for the minister. It was a very comprehensive study of the public school system, one that I took a lot of pride in and did a lot of work on. There are lots of interesting comments in it, if people care to read it. It has some very good information on things that the schools

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