Page 4398 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 14 October 2009
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We can consider that the inquiry into school closures conducted by the Standing Committee on Education, Training and Youth Affairs was a review and the information provided through this process was certainly enough to reassess, so the question is: why are our colleagues stopping short of implementing the result of all of this? The clear evidence that we are left with leaves us with the pure and simple fact that these schools can be and should be reopened.
We, the opposition, have always been available to discuss any issue along these lines, and we would certainly ask our Greens colleagues to pursue this matter and this motion and support us today. The reality of the situation is that the more delays that are put in place the harder it is going to be for these communities to get the results that they are so desperately seeking.
Minister Barr has already stated when the recommendations were received that he will not reopen any schools, so any more stalling for time is simply that—stalling for time for no apparent good reason. Mr Brendan Morling, Secretary of the Cook P&C Association, said during his appearance on 1 May at the public hearing into the school closures:
In summary, the Cook community was dealt with in a disrespectful and misleading manner that has continued with the government’s submission to this inquiry. I note that the Greens member for Ginninderra, Meredith Hunter, put out a press release on 24 September 2008 noting that the ACT Greens will review and reassess all school and preschool closures using criteria that included community impact, climate change impact and parent attitudes.
Clearly, in our view, any proper assessment of Cook Primary and Pre-school against these criteria would lead to a decision to reopen the Cook schools. We will be watching this process keenly to see if the ACT Greens are indeed serious about education outcomes.
I think that there will be many in the community who will be watching keenly and reflecting on the commitments that have been made by both the Liberals and the ACT Greens. Much debate in the community and within these walls has ensued in the three years since the closures which have culminated in the findings of the inquiry into school closures tabled in this place recently.
One of the key findings, as detailed in the motion, states that based on the demographic, educational, social and educational evidence presented during the inquiry, the government commence the process to reopen Hall and Tharwa schools. This finding was further enhanced in a statement made by my colleague Mr Hanson in the report, which stated that the evidence was also there to commence the reopening of Flynn and Cook schools as well.
The purpose of this motion today is to look to the future and learn from the past. One of the biggest hurdles that confront this government is their inability to acknowledge that they have made a mistake. It happens in society in general—mistakes are made, and once they are acknowledged they can be rectified. This, however, does not seem to be the case with this Labor government, and in particular with Minister Barr.
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