Page 668 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 22 February 2012
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We will make sure that in any future negotiations with the commonwealth this already high level of investment, already high level of performance and already high commitment to all ACT students, is put first.
This must be reflected in the amended motion. As the motion currently stands, it reads as if it comes from a different century. It shows for all to see that, with their divisiveness, their captivity to history and petty conflict, and their inability to appreciate the focus on individual need of students, the ACT Liberals cannot understand the reforms currently in play. This is why I have moved this amendment, to bring the motion into the 21st century and because I want the Assembly to know that this government’s commitment is to all ACT students.
MS HUNTER (Ginninderra—Parliamentary Leader, ACT Greens) (5.28): I am not surprised to see this motion from Mr Doszpot today, so soon after the release of the review of funding for schooling otherwise known as the Gonski report. It is indeed timely for the Assembly to begin considering the implications of what is arguably the most important review of Australian education funding in decades.
We all now have full access to the final report, which represents the culmination of nearly two years work and has seen the expert panel in charge of the review visit 39 schools across the nation. This process has also resulted in the publication of numerous fact sheets, a paper on commissioned research, and an emerging issues paper that summarised the views presented by stakeholders during the initial listening tour and saw the expert panel receive some 7,000 submissions. In fact, some would say that the consultation on and development of the Gonski report were thorough and comprehensive, and that any logical reading of the matter shows that the time for further consultation for consultation’s sake is over. Some might say that the Gillard government has turned its back on disadvantaged students and their pressing needs by refusing to commit to the funding increase recommended by the Gonski report, and that the negative attack on the report by the opposition is doing the same.
The motion before the Assembly today appears to be asking us to note the existence of the Gonski report and the distinct lack of commitment from the commonwealth government to implement any of the 41 recommendations in any kind of fixed time frames. This is primarily a statement of fact, and not in much dispute. As the ACT Greens spokesperson for education and training, I can support what I imagine the thrust of this request is, as I must admit that I too was very disappointed by the comments of the Prime Minister, which seemed to be about delaying tactics and yet another round of consultations and reviews.
I would like to take a moment to recount some of the key findings from the report, to allow the Assembly to better understand the motion before us today and the subsequent amendment that has been put by Dr Bourke. Finding No 6 states:
Australia lacks a logical, consistent and publicly transparent approach to funding schooling.
I believe that this is not a massively controversial view, and it is one that the ACT Greens, and many other commentators and education stakeholders, have long held. Finding 7 states:
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