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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 04 Hansard (Tuesday, 30 March 2004) . . Page.. 1324 ..

policy development, the pursuit of education excellence and the creativity to add value to education be held hostage to what the unions are saying or not saying?

Question put:

That Mr Pratt’s amendments Nos 4 to 6 be agreed to.

The Assembly voted—

Question so resolved in the negative.

Amendments negatived.

Clause 21 agreed to.

Clause 22.

MR PRATT (5.47): I move amendment No 7 circulated in my name [see schedule 3 at page 1376]. This amendment seeks to lock in the need for annual reports for the Department of Education, Youth and Family Services to include the details of the number of complaints not only investigated but also received by the department. This improves the transparency of reporting for the department and makes it more accountable to the Assembly and to the public. The aim of this amendment is to measure not only the complaints that were acted upon but also the number of complaints received by the department so that we can determine performance in clearing those issues up. We think the department should take that on board and that it should be enshrined in the bill so that the department can be held more accountable, as all departments must be, to the Assembly for its business of the day.

MS GALLAGHER (Minister for Education, Youth and Family Services, Minister for Women and Minister for Industrial Relations) (5.49): The government will not be supporting this amendment. Some complaints are withdrawn or resolved at the time they are lodged and all complaints that would require investigation are investigated. Also, section 22(2) obliges the chief executive to investigate all complaints and a report on investigations is therefore also a report on complaints.

MS DUNDAS (5.49): I understand what Mr Pratt is trying to get at with this amendment, but I will not be supporting it. Clause 22 already obliges the chief executive to investigate any complaint about the administration, management and operation of the government schools. We are now talking about how that is reported. If that complaint is seen as frivolous or vexatious, then it is not a requirement of the chief executive to investigate it. What Mr Pratt is trying to achieve is the number of frivolous or vexatious complaints versus the total number of complaints investigated. I think that, because we

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