Page 3495 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 18 August 2010
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MR BARR: On 6 August, the Independent Schools Council—
Mr Seselja: You would think that if it wasn’t policy you would take it down.
Mrs Dunne: Andrew Barr—apologist for the Greens.
MR BARR: On 6 August the Independent Schools Council of Australia called on the Greens party to clarify their position.
Mr Doszpot: Sit on the same benches, guys. Sit on the same benches.
MR BARR: If you guys would just listen and let me—
MADAM ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Ms Le Couteur): Yes, let us hear the minister.
MR BARR: On 6 August the Independent Schools Council of Australia called on the Greens party to clarify their position pointing to, in their words, “a significant disconnect between what Senator Brown is saying in relation to schools funding and what is detailed in the Australian Greens policy documentation”—what is on their website.
That is a fair comment. That is the only legitimate element of the Liberals’ motion today. It is that the Greens party must seriously, before federal election day, update what is on their website to reflect what Senator Brown is saying.
Mr Seselja: Because they do not really believe it. That is why they will not update it—
MR BARR: And on 10 August—
MADAM ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Mr Barr, one minute. Mr Seselja, please stop interjecting. I think I have to warn you at this point. Mr Barr, please continue.
MR BARR: Thank you, Madam Assistant Speaker. So on 10 August, Lin Hatfield Dodds began to clarify the Greens party position. Her media statement on that day promised—I think Ms Hunter has referred to this—to support private and, in particular, less-well-off independent and Catholic schools. I believe that to be a very fair statement of the truth of the matter.
Even more impressive statements were made on 14 August and in response to the Fairfax press on 15 August. Senator Brown was as clear as you could hope when he said, “We have argued that circumstances have changed since that policy setting was made a number of years ago. We do not have to take $1,000 per student from the private schools.” So that is the truth of the matter, Madam Assistant Speaker—
Mrs Dunne: The only economic rationalist in the Greens party.
MR BARR: The Greens party needs to clarify their position—
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