Page 49 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 13 December 2016
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Mr Gentleman: Madam Speaker, the opposition continually interjected during the Chief Minister’s response to the question. I ask that you bring them to order.
MADAM SPEAKER: I understand, as has happened in many a question time, that there is interjection, but I would have thought we could have got through the first week without the constant interjections. I ask members on both sides to ask with respect and to answer with relevance, for us all to get through question time. Chief Minister, do you want to continue?
MR BARR: I have concluded.
MR COE: Given that New South Wales has reversed their decision, in part due to pressure from the New South Wales Labor Party, what is the basis for the ACT continuing down this path despite a lack of evidence?
MR BARR: We maintain our concerns on animal welfare grounds, but we have also indicated we will no longer be providing taxpayer subsidies to this industry. So the million dollars a year that goes from the ACT budget to provide prize money, essentially, this government will no longer be providing. As the industry in New South Wales is dramatically scaled back and a much heavier-handed regulation comes into place, we will continue to work closely with the New South Wales government on those new arrangements. But I have said clearly, and I said it a dozen times during the campaign, the taxpayer subsidy to this industry ends. I made that election commitment prior to the election, and I will honour it now.
Schools—infrastructure
MR STEEL: My question is to the Minister for Education and Early Childhood Development. Minister, can you outline the infrastructure investments that the ACT Labor government is making to support all children towards the best possible outcomes?
MS BERRY: I thank Mr Steel for his question. I am pleased to be able to talk about our commitment to school infrastructure, as I was throughout the election campaign. The ACT government understands that teachers and students need to be supported with the infrastructure that allows education to happen.
During the last term the government allocated more than $70 million for investment in school infrastructure. A few examples among a long list of projects include upgrades at Curtin, Hughes and Yarralumla primary schools, the stage 1 master plan works at the Woden School, roof replacement work at Canberra and Melrose high schools, and expansions and replacements at Cranleigh School, Amaroo School and Ngunnawal Primary School.
Over the coming four years the government will be delivering a program of infrastructure investment so that ACT schools have quality, accessible and inclusive learning spaces to support learning. Our record commitment in capital funding for school infrastructure will ensure that this is so.
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