Page 1891 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 2 June 2015
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MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Ms Fitzharris.
MS FITZHARRIS: Minister, could you tell the Assembly about the collaborative way in which HealthPathways in the ACT was developed?
MR CORBELL: Thank you, Ms Fitzharris, for your follow-up question. This was the result of collaboration and engagement in the primary health sector. It started with a survey to GPs in the ACT and in the surrounding region, which saw a very encouraging response from the GPs concerned. They provided their feedback on what priorities they wanted to see on pathway development. There has also been a significant amount of engagement between doctors in the region and doctors here in the ACT. It was decided, based on that feedback from GPs directly, that the key areas for focus should be in relation to mental health, palliative and end-of-life care, oncology, cardiology, pain management and cognitive impairment. These were the priority areas identified from that survey work and those were the first areas focused on in the new HealthPathways framework.
Education—funding
MR DOSZPOT: My question is to the minister for education. Minister, the government’s proposed light rail is estimated to have a capital cost of about $800 million. Minister, how many new schools could be built with $800 million?
MS BURCH: We can see the theme for today’s question time, with 11 or 12 minutes to go. To follow on from the answers from the Attorney and Minister for Health, I think we have got a good record of health and education investment from this side of the chamber. Indeed, the recent Sensis figures show that in public schools we continue to grow our student numbers. I think that for the first time we have more children in our public high schools than in the non-government sector, so that is a reflection of quality teaching and quality investment across the ACT.
Mr Hanson: Madam Speaker, on a point of order, following the previous points of order, I ask that the minister be directly relevant to the question, and that relates to how many schools could be funded with $800 million.
MADAM SPEAKER: I uphold the point of order and remind the minister of the provisions of standing order 118(a): to be concise and directly relevant to the subject matter.
MS BURCH: On the cost of investment in schools, again this government has a track record of that. Indeed, in last year’s budget announcement—I have been out to visit the new school in Molonglo, Coombs, which comes with a price tag of—
Mr Hanson: Madam Speaker, on a point of order, the minister is clearly ignoring your ruling. The question is about how many schools could be built with $800 million. It is not about what this government did last year in the budget relating to something else. I would ask the minister to be directly relevant and answer the question.
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