Page 4694 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 20 October 2010
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been to prevent the cuts being made. Before I turn to the issue, I would like to comment on the contributions from Andrew Barr and Ms Hunter. Andrew Barr’s was the sort of contribution you would expect from a minister who has essentially been caught with his pants down on this one. I found his interjection across the chamber that the education department is the only efficient area in the ACT government quite remarkable. I think that his colleagues—
Mr Barr: No, that wasn’t what I said.
MR HANSON: I think that that is very close to what you said.
Mr Barr: I said the central office was the most efficient area within the department of education.
MR HANSON: Right. We will leave that one as it is then. Ms Hunter’s speech was quite remarkable. The thing that stands out is her comment that Mr Doszpot has made the situation worse, that it is Mr Doszpot who is to blame for making the situation worse. The speech, in large part, was a longwinded, verbose, rambling excuse as to why she did nothing and why the ACT Greens failed to act on this issue. They had some dialogue and some discussions and so on. We hear a lot about dialogue and discussions from the Greens, and we might see the odd paper put out and lots of movement and colour and light, but what we do not see is the ability to hold this government to account and do something constructive for the people of Canberra, particularly those people who are affected by this issue—the most disadvantaged and the most in need students in our education system.
For Meredith Hunter to come into this place and attack Steve Doszpot for what he did and to excuse the government for their actions and the Greens for having done nothing is absolutely disgraceful. I use the word “disgraceful” deliberately because it was Amanda Bresnan who thought that our not giving a pair to the government for Jon Stanhope to go on a holiday was disgraceful. Of course, they believe that the government wanting to cut vital support to students with a disability is excusable and they say, “We’ll just put in an amendment that basically excuses the government for what they are doing.”
That is in great contrast, Madam Deputy Speaker, to Mr Doszpot. I would like to speak briefly about Mr Doszpot and what he does. He listens to the community. People go to Mr Doszpot because they know that he actually listens to them. He makes the time, he spends the time with them, because he is genuine and he cares about their issues. He genuinely cares about their issues and he gets things done. The AEU were at the consultations yesterday. They were there in force because they know that he will get things done. The parents and the disability support groups are here today. They were at the forums and they have been at other meetings with Mr Doszpot because they know that he will listen and that he will get the job done.
I remember the Shepherd Centre and Noah’s Ark and when Mr Doszpot led on that issue. We went out there together. We saw what they were going to experience, particularly at the Shepherd Centre. If it were not for Mr Doszpot, Noah’s Ark and the Shepherd Centre may well have not been able to continue with their vital work for this
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