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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 04 Hansard (Tuesday, 30 March 2004) . . Page.. 1350 ..

Assembly to what I said when I moved my amendment to Ms Dundas’s amendment No 5.

Mr Pratt’s amendment to Ms Dundas’s amendment negatived.

Ms Dundas’s amendment agreed to.

Clause 104, as amended, agreed to.

Clauses 105 to 107, by leave, taken together and agreed to.

Clause 108.

MR PRATT (9.05): Mr Speaker, I seek leave to move amendments Nos 21 and 22, circulated in my name, together.

Leave granted.

MR PRATT: I move amendments Nos 21 and 22 [see schedule 3 at page 1376]. Amendment 21 changes the number of members of the non-government schools education council from six to seven to allow for what is contained in my amendment No 22. Amendment 22 provides for an additional member of the non-government schools education council to be chosen from nominations of the organisation representing ACT independent schools.

MS GALLAGHER (Minister for Education, Youth and Family Services, Minister for Women and Minister for Industrial Relations) (9.06): The government will not be supporting these amendments. The three-to-one ratio of representation from the Catholic systemic and independent schools to non-Catholic independent schools reflects the distribution of students between those two sectors. Also, the Ministerial Advisory Council on Non-government Schools supported the three-to-one ratio reflected by the membership. In addition, clause 108 (2) (d) provides for one education member chosen from nominations of organisations representing parent associations of non-government schools. There is every expectation that that representation would come from the Independent Schools Association.

MS DUNDAS (9.07): Mr Speaker, I was hoping that, in presenting these amendments, Mr Pratt would have given some more explanation. The legislation before us indicates that there is already room for one education member chosen from nominations of organisations representing non-Catholic independent schools. I am at a loss to understand the difference between non-Catholic independent schools and ACT independent schools. If there is a major difference then I would like to hear it.

I would also like to hear if there is a sector of the community that is missing out. That did not come through. I cannot see why this amendment needs to be supported if independent schools are already being given the opportunity to be represented on the council.

MS TUCKER (9.08): I understand that the ACT Independent Schools Association has asked that it be put on the non-government schools education council, and that is what

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