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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 12 Hansard (13 November) . . Page.. 3579 ..

MR PRATT (continuing):

in my area of concern, I know that Calwell Primary School, for example, has participated in a number of activities. We know all about that. We already know about the intervention programs which are under way for children at risk. Mr Corbell, please read my speech, or at least listen when I speak in future.

Mr Corbell's comment that this problem cannot be dumped on schools was a rather strange comment to make-in fact, one that really reflects the derision and the lack of concern of the education minister. Minister, it is not a matter of dumping the problem or the responsibility on schools. Schools do play an important role in their integrated position within the community. Everybody in the community pulls together in terms of fire prevention education and community education programs.

Reflecting on Mr Quinlan's comments: we are aware of those initiatives and we acknowledge their worth. Those are good initiatives, Mr Quinlan. But, if I may both reflect on that comment and on your amendment, which I cannot support, I simply say again that the question here is the universality of the education and training program. Good programs are in place now, but they are not universal, which is the crux of this issue.

Ms Tucker says an education program would not address the problem of arson, but I don't see any concrete alternative being put up by Ms Tucker as to what might be done. I reflect on what she said about the social concerns that go to the heart of the question of the sorts of children at risk who may undertake arson. We know about those and, whatever interventions are in place socially to help children at risk in terms of generally coping with life, we applaud and support. That still does not go to the heart of the question of what we do about young children at risk who may be attracted to arson behaviour. Why not intervene early in schools in the hope of connecting with those kids, as I stated earlier? So I reject that approach.

Mr Speaker, I am sure that the government cares about community safety and the wellbeing of the environment. There is no question about that. We have confidence in the government on that, but I just think the government is not trying hard enough in terms of the facts. The fact is that last year we had a pretty horrific fire season. The fact is, according to information collected by the experts, that the 2002-03 fire season is going to be that much worse.

Mr Speaker, the lack of seriousness on the minister's part to grapple, through universal education, with the grave issues for which we need to prepare our children reminds me of his derision and laziness with respect to my call in the past for the introduction of drug education and other values-oriented education in schools. There are some things on which the department needs to undertake universal training. I do not know what the problem is with having departmentally coordinated universal activities where they are of such an importance that they ought to be more centrally controlled.

We very much value our heritage and our environment and, above all, we respect life and property. Today, we face a very grave bushfire risk. We have clearly in our minds the devastation of last year. We have clearly in our minds the actions of young arsonists and, for that matter, older ones too. We know that it makes great sense to educate our youth as to how to treat the environment respectfully and to value the sanctity of our community in terms of careless, reckless and deliberate acts of behaviour which may endanger the

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