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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 12 Hansard (13 November) . . Page.. 3527 ..

MR CORBELL: No, it wouldn't. I do not accept that proposition. The Government Schools Education Council is there to advise on all matters relevant to public schooling in the ACT-whether it is primary, secondary, or high schools or whether it is alternative education settings. It does not look simply at the operation of schools per se; it also looks at funding arrangements, policies for volunteers in schools and a whole series of issues.

I guess we could break up the bodies so that you had one committee just looking at this and another committee looking at this-and this, and this. The Government Schools Education Council has itself established subcommittees to look at various issues that I have referred to it, as well as issues that it has decided itself to take up, and members of GSEC have indicated their interest in getting involved in the subcommittee that is of most relevance to them.

Given the increasingly prevalent activity of the VET sector in government schools, particularly high schools and secondary colleges, it is important that business representatives are engaged in the discussion on VET policy.

Ms Dundas: But not in kindergarten.

MR CORBELL: Mr Speaker, the premise is simply wrong. I doubt very much that business representatives are going to have much to say about primary school education. Equally, GSEC is not just there for primary school education; it is there for high school and secondary college activity as well.

Police Ministers Council

MR PRATT: My question is to the minister for police, Mr Quinlan. Recently, in response to a question from Mrs Dunne about why you did not attend the Police Ministers Council held recently, you replied:

The reason I was not in Darwin at the Police Ministers Council is that I went to Melbourne for the Racing Ministers Council. Unfortunately, because of the pressures of business and my other part-time portfolios, I could not stay for the Cup, and I did not attend the Cup.

The meeting of the Police Ministers Council was held on Tuesday, 5 November 2002, which was Melbourne Cup day. It was also held on Wednesday, 6 November 2002. I understand the Racing Ministers Council met on Friday, 1 November 2002.

Minister, what was the real reason you did not go to the Police Ministers Council? What was the pressing business that you had on Melbourne Cup day that was more important than discussing hand-gun control measures, particularly after the shooting at Monash University, as well as other policing and crime issues?

MR QUINLAN: The Racing Ministers Council meeting was originally scheduled for Monday. Arrangements were made for Mr Stanhope to attend the Police Ministers Council on the Tuesday. The Racing Ministers Council meeting, which had been scheduled for Monday, was at a later date brought back to the Friday.

Mr Humphries: So you could have attended?

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