Page 1845 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 2 May 2012
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sector as part of Catholic Schools Week. I think that the Liberal Party in the ACT is the only party in the Assembly that actually supports the rights of Catholic and independent schools to exist, to thrive and to have fair funding. There is no doubt about it.
I will just briefly touch on the alternative views that are in this place. There is the view of this Chief Minister in relation to non-government schools in the ACT. This is what she voted for and this is what she believes. She believes that the growth of private education is facilitating a fragmentation of Australia’s children along ethnic, cultural, and particularly religious lines. That is a disgraceful sentiment. It is a particularly hostile sentiment towards non-government schools.
In this Catholic Schools Week I think it is important that we are honest. We have Meredith Hunter and Chris Bourke going along to Catholic Schools Week functions and pretending that they support Catholic schools when they do not. Their funding policies do not support them. Their statements do not support them. The way that their parties have expressed their disdain for non-government and Catholic schools is clear. As I said, the Chief Minister supports that statement that “the growth of private education is facilitating the fragmentation of Australia’s children along ethnic, cultural and religious lines”.
Ms Gallagher: Point of order. I wonder whether Mr Seselja will table the document that he is reading from to assist this debate.
MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Mr Hargreaves): Mr Seselja, you have been invited to do that. It is your call. If that invitation is not accepted, it is up to the Chief Minister to—
MR SESELJA: I am happy to as long as I can hang on to the document, because I will be referring to it. So I am happy to table it, as long as I can get a copy immediately. Happy to table it. I will need leave—
MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Hang on, Mr Seselja.
MR SESELJA: Can we stop the clock?
MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER: I have already stopped the clock. If it is acceptable to the Chief Minister, Mr Seselja could table it at the conclusion of his speech.
MR SESELJA: I am happy to do that.
MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER: But you did in fact—
Ms Gallagher: No, because I need to respond to it.
MR SESELJA: I need to hold on to the document, so I will table it when I am finished with it.
MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER: I am quite happy to leave the clock stopped while you get the copy back to you.
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