Page 2289 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 23 June 2010
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section 3.6, also states in relation to the Towards 2020 consultation process that the public discussion required for such a major adjustment of the ACT public education system was widely criticised and clearly fell short of the ideal process for genuine consultation.
In the key findings, the committee found that good public administration principles would suggest that a major restructure required a more strategic community engagement process. The bill does exactly that, as it sets out a very strategic, detailed process that not only provides a guarantee for proper community consultation but also facilitates the consultation and sets a minimum standard for the issues that must be considered in that consultation.
The amendments are not about revisiting 2006. Whilst the bill comes about because of what happened in 2006, that is the extent of the connection. The community has moved on and this is about making constructive changes and learning from past experience. It is about setting up a sound and robust process that ensures that the community has the opportunity to express their views on the full scope of relevant matters.
I do want to go to the issue today. The government have indicated that they will be supporting my amendments to the education bill and the Liberal Party have decided to walk away and not engage in this process at all. And I really think I need to spend some time addressing that particular issue. I thought it most unusual that the ACT Liberals were not supporting this bill.
In question time on 23 March this year, Mr Doszpot was asking Mr Barr to give assurances that he would not close schools in the near future. This bill was his chance to put in some legislation to ensure there was a better process around proposed school closures and amalgamations. But he was either outvoted by his party or he rolled over. In any case, whatever happened, future school communities have been let down.
Instead we have the Liberals, through Mr Doszpot, carrying on about some of the affected school communities. Again I remind him and his colleagues that the ACT Greens were well aware of the anxieties the school closures caused in 2006 and we went to the election in 2008 pushing for an inquiry into the closures and the importance of that inquiry looking at, among other things, the economic impact, the environmental impact and the views of the parents of children who have moved from schools.
Since the inquiry report was tabled, I have lobbied the ACT government to ensure the future of the Tharwa and Hall school sites. And let me just go to the Hall and Tharwa—
Mr Doszpot: How many recommendations of the committee have you incorporated—
MS HUNTER: Mr Doszpot, I would like to fill you in on what has happened on the Tharwa and Hall school sites. I have worked very hard and I have pushed very hard. I am sure you have put in some effort as well but I can assure you the work that I did resulted in increased preschool hours as well as a significant change to government
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