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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 04 Hansard (Tuesday, 30 March 2004) . . Page.. 1352 ..

Clauses 122 to 124, by leave, taken together and agreed to.

Clause 125.

MS GALLAGHER (Minister for Education, Youth and Family Services, Minister for Women and Minister for Industrial Relations) (9.12): I move amendment No 7 circulated in my name [see schedule 1 at page 1371]. This amendment simply clarifies the part of clause 125 which deals with office hours, changing it from a person may inspect the register of non-governments schools “during the office hours of the office of the chief executive” to “during ordinary business hours at the office of the chief executive”. We believe that provides greater clarity for persons who may wish to inspect the register.

Amendment agreed to.

Clause 125, as amended, agreed to.

Proposed new clause 126A.

MR PRATT (9.13): I move amendment No 24, circulated in my name, to insert new clause 126A [see schedule 3 at page 1376]. The Liberal opposition believes that to sufficiently provide support to the non-government school sector and assist students of those schools to get the best education they possibly can, the government needs to place a non-government schools liaison officer with the Department of Education, Youth and Family Services. This officer would be the contact point for all inquiries between the government and non-government school sectors and would be able to assist the non-government schools sector and their sub-organisations in the effective operations of their schools within the boundaries of the Education Bill.

MS GALLAGHER (Minister for Education, Youth and Family Services, Minister for Women and Minister for Industrial Relations) (9.14): The government will not be supporting this amendment. We do not believe it is appropriate to place a legislative requirement on the chief executive regarding staffing in the department.

However, there is already a non-government schools office within the department and, with the additional responsibilities that will be required with the passage of this legislation, I imagine that that section has a strong future within the department. So that work is already there, it has already been done, it has already been used by the non-government schools to facilitate relationships and support the work of non-government schools. So there is no need to have a legislative requirement for that position.

Amendment negatived.

Clause 127 agreed to.

Clause 128.

MS DUNDAS (9.17): Mr Speaker, I move amendment No 7 circulated in my name [see schedule 2 at page 1375]. We can now move on to the home education part of the legislation. I note that this is the first time that home education will be so strictly

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