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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 04 Hansard (Tuesday, 30 March 2004) . . Page.. 1316 ..

independent and effective local and global citizens. We see no reason why it should not be in the act.

MS TUCKER (5.13): The Greens are happy to support this amendment. It picks up the commitment to preparing students to be independent. I understand that it was first put forward by home-educated students for the home education section of the bill. It is a very good goal and it would be good for all students.

Amendment agreed to.

Clause 18, as amended, agreed to.

Clause 19 agreed to.

Clause 20.

MS TUCKER (5.14): I move amendment No 2 circulated in my name [see schedule 4 at page 1382]. This amendment signposts six months as a minimum consultation period for a school and department in regard to a possible closure. It can be argued that the legislation describes a process that would, by necessity, take considerably longer. However, there remains community level concern and mistrust on issues such as this. The Greens are moving this amendment in order to reassure those people that, no matter the intention of government, there will be a reasonable time in which to address the possibility.

MS DUNDAS (5.14): The Democrats will be supporting this amendment, as it prescribes a minimum period of consultation when the government is moving to close or amalgamate schools. I think it would be a very brief consultation period for such a major project if it were less than six months but, given the political history of school closures in the ACT and the fears that are out there in the community, I think this amendment, which prescribes at least a six-month period of consultation, moves to address community fears and will hopefully mean that, when these decisions are taken, they are taken in conjunction with the community.

MR PRATT (5.15): The Liberals also think that six months is probably a better time frame to ensure that full consultation occurs across the community as well as amongst the community supporting families.

MS GALLAGHER (Minister for Education, Youth and Family Services, Minister for Women and Minister for Industrial Relations) (5.15): The government is happy to support this amendment too. We have had extremely lengthy consultations on this clause of the bill. It took a long time to get the words for paragraphs 5(a) and (b) together and the support of education stakeholders. There is a lot of angst about the closures of schools and the processes that governments might use to look at the closure or amalgamations of schools. The government’s belief is that, following paragraphs 5(a) and (b), it would take a period of at least six months or longer. Because of that, we are more than happy to support the inclusion.

Amendment agreed to.

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