Page 3241 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 18 August 2009
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onto a personal vilification of individuals. I asked you the question in May; you could not answer. I asked you the question in June; you had no logical answer to give as to why the Shaddock review did not include non-government schools. I asked you, under the ACT Education Act, which specifically states the rights of individuals, of children—
Mr Barr: Say it, Steve; you can say it. You asked under the Human Rights Act.
MADAM ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Mrs Dunne): Order, Mr Barr!
MR DOSZPOT: Yes, of course. I asked you under the Human Rights Act why you were excluding—
MADAM ASSISTANT SPEAKER: You have had your turn, Mr Barr.
MR DOSZPOT: Under the Human Rights Act, there is no way for anyone, including children with special needs, to be excluded from any advantage that is given to the government sector. That is why I was asking. Your duplicitous statements are galling—the fact that you twist those words. They are in Hansard; all you have got to do is check what I asked for and what you have just stated. Minister Barr, the fact that you have to state to this Assembly—
Mr Barr: On a point of order, Madam Assistant Speaker: the member should direct his comments through the chair.
Mr Seselja: Does it hurt that much?
MADAM ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Mr Doszpot, you should direct your comments through the chair.
MR DOSZPOT: I am obviously affronting my learned colleague—that I am speaking to him—but I cannot believe the duplicity that my colleague the minister has expressed in his monologue. “Fairytale” is closer to the question of what was actually said. What we have been trying to do is get equality for the children with special needs, in government and in non-government schools.
Mr Barr: So why did you vote against the funding in the budget?
MADAM ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Order, Mr Barr! Mr Barr, you were heard in silence; be quiet.
MR DOSZPOT: We were asking for equality for children with special needs in government and in non-government schools. It took us 3½ months of badgering this minister for him to make an absolute about-face and agree to include children in special needs categories in non-government schools in the Shaddock review—the Shaddock review which, by the way, we totally agreed with.
My final word on this is that I find it incredible that we have a minister who has to state that he is the minister for government and non-government schools. I do not think it is believed in the community.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
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