Page 731 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 8 March 2005
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that was 22 February—
and asked them to formally correct the record on air tonight. I understand that the Chief of Staff from WIN News has been in contact with you—
that is the principal of Charnwood primary school—
today about this issue and has arranged to report a positive story about your school, and correct the record in the course of this. While this is a constructive step, it is not good enough, as the reputation of Charnwood Primary has been marred by this severe error in reporting.
I hope this information sets the record straight. I assure you that I have only ever heard positive reports about Charnwood Primary and am vexed that the name of your school has been brought into disrepute. I am sorry that your school has been slighted by WIN News’ failure to check the facts properly before reporting on issues.
I also copied that to the parents and citizens association of Charnwood primary school. I wrote that letter immediately when I came to work the next day after discovering that Charnwood primary school had been erroneously named.
On another occasion there was a news report where a school was named. I had actually contacted the television outlet and suggested that it was inappropriate to do so because, while there are problems in the school, it does tend to defame everybody associated with the school, and I had asked the news outlets not to name schools for that particular reason.
Because Mr Hargreaves raised this issue, I thought I needed to put on the record that I did not at any stage name any school and I took all steps that I could to ensure for the school erroneously named that the record was set straight.
Adjournment
Motion (by Mr Corbell) proposed:
That the Assembly do now adjourn
Chief Minister’s command performance
MR SMYTH (Brindabella—Leader of the Opposition) (4.35): I want to make a few comments on a matter that is very dear to the Chief Minister’s heart and that is the attempt of the Chief Minister to achieve his own aggrandisement. The specific matter to which I refer in this context is the Chief Minister’s command performance. Yes, members, the Chief Minister is having his own command performance—an event that is to be held in the Canberra Theatre on 17 March 2005.
I would like to say at the outset that I do not disagree with the intention of such an event. The notion of a community raising funds for local charities is admirable, and any activity that provides additional resources for our valuable charities is to be encouraged. I am
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