Page 1041 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 19 March 2013
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leading the charge on supporting canteens in schools, ensuring that there are healthy options for kids in our schools, ensuring that canteens work with Nutrition Australia for healthy options for our schools.
Mr Doszpot is a Johnny-come-lately. He is looking to one association, the canteen association. They cannot even muster up enough volunteers to stand up to their own governance structures. I am working with an association with a million bucks on the table to do as good as I can, and those opposite have done zip.
MADAM ACTING SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mrs Jones.
MRS JONES: Minister, given the unfolding situation of concern about the association being able to continue, what prevents you from providing funding from the $1 million election promise in your policy to address this urgent need?
MS BURCH: This is an interesting question. We have put a $1 million commitment to work with the P&C council, showing a clear leadership role in supporting healthy options for school canteens. Those opposite, who never gave it a thought until there was a story in the Canberra Times that they can hang off, are now asking me—
Mr Hanson: A point of order.
MADAM ACTING SPEAKER: Resume your seat, Ms Burch. Stop the clock. On a point of order?
MS BURCH: Well, where was your policy?
Mr Doszpot interjecting—
MADAM ACTING SPEAKER: Mr Doszpot, a member of the opposition is on his feet with a point of order.
Mr Doszpot: My apologies, Madam Acting Speaker.
Mr Hanson: A point of order on relevance. The question was clearly about the government’s policy and the $1 million and whether any of that could be allocated to the association. Ms Burch’s dissertation on what the Liberals would do is not really relevant to the point. I would ask her to address the question as to whether there is any possibility of providing money from the $1 million available.
MADAM ACTING SPEAKER: She does have a minute and a half to do that, but I would ask her to return to the question.
MS BURCH: Thank you, Madam Acting Speaker. Our policy was around supporting the P&C and school canteens. It was not about hiving off money to an association that has not come to me and asked for it. It is an association that cannot find volunteers to fill its executive governance role. I do not know if that is a good use of public funds. I could go out to a school or a P&C association and say, “Do you want me to put some of this money into an association that has not been very effective to date or do you
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