Page 1155 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 7 May 2014
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We asked of this government at the time: what about the rights of students to get an education? The government did not respond. So the human rights of students to be absent from school were endorsed by the minister of the day but the human rights of students to get an education were not. What hope did that principal have and what hope did parents of students at that school have in wanting their sons and daughters taught the importance of rules, the need to respect their school, when the government actively worked against him? Where was the support for that principal from his directorate? It was not there.
Those who rally against non-government schools need to remember that all the attributes and qualities that attract parents to choose a non-government school can be available at a government school, if only the government let them.
I have met some amazing teachers doing outstanding things in exceptional schools in the ACT. Some are in old, almost dysfunctional buildings; some are in land-locked, cramped settings; some are in sparkling new, state-of-the-art architectural showpieces. Some of these schools are in the government sector and some are in the non-government sector. (Time expired.)
MR WALL (Brindabella) (11.01): I am very pleased to speak to Mr Hanson’s motion and also to address some of the issues regarding the amendment which has been put forward to this motion today.
The original motion, as it was presented this morning, I think represents the views of the majority of Canberrans that I speak to on a daily basis. Thirteen years is an exceptionally long time for any one party to be in government. What it does give, though, is the opportunity for that party to learn, listen and take heed of the issues that are facing Canberrans. The question that needs to be asked, however, is: what has changed over 13 years? I think it is safe to say now that every time this government comes out with an announcement to address an issue or an initiative to fix a problem that exists within the ACT, the issue is of their own creation.
Today I would like to put some focus on, particularly, the impact that 13 years of this Labor and Greens government has had on the small and medium business sector, the impact this government has had on small and medium business operators. These business operators in the ACT face a maze of red tape and bureaucracy before they can even open their doors and begin trading. Despite the rhetoric of this government, the red tape has not reduced; it seems to be increasing.
In 2012 PricewaterhouseCoopers undertook a survey of business which showed that 44 per cent of businesses spend between one and five hours completing and complying with government regulatory requirements. Seventy-two per cent of businesses say that the time that they are spending on red tape has increased in the past two years. Some 42.2 per cent estimated that they spent more than $10,000 complying with government regulations in the previous 12 months. Some 59.7 per cent said that red tape had a moderate to major impact on their businesses and 54.3 per cent said that complying with government regulations has prevented them from making changes or growing or extending their businesses. That means jobs.
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