Page 504 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 18 February 2015

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(a) use the most up-to-date data available to guide school planning and construction;

(b) invest in school infrastructure across the ACT to ensure the continued confidence of ACT families in public schools …

All great words, but there is no definition as to what and when things were done—and nothing has been done on these, as I understand it. It continued:

(d) invest in upgrades to existing ACT schools …

We have been consulting with the community. We have been consulting with the education union. We have been consulting with the P&C associations. We have been talking to teachers and parents of children who are putting up with these conditions. We have asked for very simple action items from the government. I notice Mr Rattenbury has disappeared, which is a pity. We call on the government to, as follows:

(a) provide details of which ACT public schools are without efficient air cooling in classrooms to allow students and staff to work in acceptable temperatures in line with AEU guidelines …

I wonder what the minister sees as objectionable in that. We are asking for details which should be available, and should be made available to us and to the public. The next one is:

(b) commit to deliver improvements to those schools that do not have them this school year …

In other words, we are asking for the comfort and health of the teachers and students to be taken into account. And we call on the government to:

Quite conveniently, Ms Burch once again did not mention or clear up that issue. I come back to the point that Mr Rattenbury should be aware that we went through this last September when the minister made similar modifications or amendments to the motion, and none of that has happened. On none of those items can I see that there has been some additional work since we debated this motion last. The minister has now come up with another set of propaganda notes, if you like, which touch on what the government is claiming to have done. It changes what I call on the government to do, in the three points that I had, to:

(a) provide an update to the Assembly on improvements in energy efficiency and heating and cooling needs in ACT public schools by the last sitting day in June …

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