Page 3740 - Week 12 - Thursday, 22 November 2007
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Question so resolved in the affirmative.
Mr Pratt was therefore suspended at 3.35 pm for three sitting hours in accordance with standing order 204, and he accordingly withdrew from the chamber.
Paper
MR STANHOPE (Ginninderra): Mr Speaker, I would like to table a false and defamatory leaflet issued by the Liberal Party defaming the Islamic people of Australia, supported by the Liberal Party and distributed by the Liberal Party. I table the following paper:
Islamic Australia Federation—Purported flyer for the 2007 Federal election.
Personal explanation
MRS DUNNE (Ginninderra): Mr Speaker, I want to make a statement under standing order 46.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Mrs Dunne.
MRS DUNNE: Mr Speaker, I have three points to make in relation to standing order 46 about issues that arose in question time today.
The Chief Minister said in answering one of the questions that I never come out in support of government initiatives in relation to education. I refer members to the Chief Minister’s press release of 14 November 2007 where he noted my support for measures in the appropriation bill. So the Chief Minister was making that one up.
The Chief Minister on regular occasions says that I said that spending on government schools was putting good money up after bad. Under standing order 46, I think on two separate occasions, I have put that quote in context. I will do so again today. What I have said on a number of occasions is this. I draw members’ attention to page 3,567 of Hansard of 15 November last year. I said:
Mr Barr has said that the $90 million of capital injection is to address the drift to the non-government school system. I do not know whether, by building a new assembly hall at Chapman primary school, the children in Weston Creek are going to be more likely to attend a government school over a non-government school …
I went on to say:
That is why I say they run the risk of putting good money after bad. We do not say, “Do not spend the money.” We say, “Inform yourself first.”
On a number of occasions, including today, the Chief Minister has said that I have no ideological or any other commitment to the government school system. I again put on
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