Page 3373 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 21 October 2014
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MS GALLAGHER: Certainly I do not think the ACT government provided the information for this report. My understanding is that it came from a range of different datasets, but I will follow that up for you.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Ms Porter.
MS PORTER: Chief Minister, how will the OECD report assist in promoting a positive image of Canberra and future opportunities in the city?
MS GALLAGHER: I thank Ms Porter for the question. The work and the findings of this report feed immediately into the work of many people who promote our city, both in some of the formal campaigns we are running and through the everyday advocacy of people in that conversation, in social media and elsewhere.
It adds weight to the campaigns that are underway. I refer in particular to brand Canberra, or brand CBR. It is a valuable marketing tool for this innovative campaign which is already rolling out across different media platforms. With respect to visit Canberra, it is an enormous incentive for use by our local tourism sector. Obviously there are benefits for StudyCanberra. The report is a recognition of the access to services and the quality of education at all levels in the city and I think it will be a drawcard that our universities use when they are looking to attract students to come, particularly international students.
I also think it is a very strong tool for the business development strategy—for the business sector, for industry groups to work together with us to foster the outcomes that we want to see through that strategy to promote growth and jobs.
We will continue to use not just this report but other reports and the work that is already underway to promote Canberra as a great city with endless opportunity. This is something that we are very keen to do. I think it fits very well with the budget priorities we have outlined and some of the key projects, whether it be capital metro, city to the lake or new hospital infrastructure. All of that can be assisted and supported by the findings in this report.
Education—teaching hours
MR DOSZPOT: My question is to the minister for education. Minister, in response to a question in May this year about the ACT AEU survey showing high levels of dissatisfaction amongst ACT teachers due to long work hours, you dismissed the results, suggesting their timing as being nothing more than coinciding with a wage negotiation process. You suggested ACT teachers have amongst the lowest class teaching times.
In today’s Canberra Times there are the results of a survey conducted by the Australian Council for Education Research which shows that ACT teachers have the second longest working weeks among states and territories. Minister, why do ACT teachers work an average of 50.2 hours a week?
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