Page 513 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 20 February 2019
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does not exist for many. A number of them are in the chamber with us this afternoon. The directorate and the minister have failed. I am going to agree with the minister on this point: this cannot be a blame game exercise. It is incumbent upon all of us—all of us—to fix it. We have to do it. We have to do it for the sake of the children.
What we are doing at the moment in this space is not working. I note that the minister has made mention of some changes, but what we are doing at the moment is not working. If we talk to these people in the chamber, and a number who are watching online, they will tell you it is not working. It would be absurd to just keep on doing it or, worse still, get the directorate to examine itself. If members of this place had sat in the forums that I have sat in, and seen the tears welling up in the eyes of distraught mothers, I am sure that they would have no hesitation in voting for an open, independent inquiry.
I have to say, Madam Deputy Speaker, with all respect, that I cannot believe that this minister does not think that it is her job to meet with parents face to face on matters like this. I find that impossible to believe. But I have to say that it is a theme that runs right across this government. I recall Mr Gentleman standing in here, in response to a question without notice last year, basically saying that it was not his job as the minister to meet victims of club robberies face to face, that it was not for him to mix with those people. It is not for the Chief Minister to turn and face people in the chamber. I was astounded that the Chief Minister could not even find an ounce of humanity to turn around and have a look at this chamber, which was absolutely chock-a-block full of people whose lives have been destroyed by the policies of this government. He could not find the humanity to do that. The party of social justice has lost its humanity.
When Labor loses the election in 2020, let me tell you, Madam Deputy Speaker, that will be one of the main reasons that it happens: ministers in this government have built pedestals to stand upon and they do not believe that it is up to them to mix with the riffraff out in the suburbs and face people face to face, particularly if people disagree with what they are doing. I would urge people, through this motion, in this space, on this very important issue, to step down for a moment from those pedestals and support this motion.
MR RATTENBURY (Kurrajong) (4.33): Violence in our schools is never acceptable. No person should go to school or to work feeling they will be subjected to violence. Schools have a duty of care to create safe and supportive environments for all students and staff.
I agree with the first line in Ms Lee’s motion:
… every student and teacher deserves to be safe in ACT schools …
I do not think that is a controversial idea at all.
The question we must consider in this debate is: what is the best way to make our schools safe environments? Ms Lee’s motion suggests that an independent inquiry is required to address this issue. That is not something that we support at this time. An
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