Page 1956 - Week 05 - Thursday, 3 May 2012
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DR BOURKE: I thank the member for his question. I do not think he actually heard what I was saying last time because he was too busy interjecting. What we are doing is building off an historical low. We are progressively increasing our support for independent and Catholic schools, and we have done that consistently over the last 10 years.
MR SPEAKER: Supplementary question, Mr Doszpot.
MR DOSZPOT: Minister, what steps are you taking to deliver on the excellence and enterprise policy in respect of enhanced local decision making?
DR BOURKE: Decision making in schools is part of our policy for school empowerment. This is primarily manifested in our desire to empower principals, the school leaders, to be able to make important decisions in their schools—decisions about staffing, giving principals a say in the teachers that work in their schools. This is I think one of the keys to a successful education system—we can see that coming out of other educational systems elsewhere in the world that are very successful—giving principals a say in the teachers that work in their schools.
MR SPEAKER: Supplementary, Mr Doszpot.
MR DOSZPOT: Minister, what is meant by “advancing distinctive public secondary schools” as highlighted in the policy document?
DR BOURKE: I thank the member for his question. I am sure if he had read the document he would understand.
Art—public
MRS DUNNE: My question is to the Minister for the Arts. Minister, I refer to your answer in the last sitting to a supplementary question from Mr Seselja on public art. In your answer you claimed that public art will “increase property values”. Minister, what research can you point to either in Australia or overseas that indicates that public art will increase property values in nearby suburbs?
MS BURCH: I thank Mrs Dunne for her question. Given that she is on record for having to come back and apologise for misquoting me, I have no faith in her question and her premise.
MR SPEAKER: Mrs Dunne has a supplementary.
MRS DUNNE: Minister, what research has been done by the ACT government or others on the impact of public art on Canberra’s property values, and can Canberrans expect to see increases in unimproved capital values and, therefore, rates as a result of the rollout of the public art program?
MS BURCH: As I said, I have no faith in the premise of her argument, but I am happy to have a conversation on public art. Public art, what I am hearing from Mrs Dunne—
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