Page 2582 - Week 07 - Thursday, 1 August 2019
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MR WALL (Brindabella) (10.56), in reply: I alluded when I moved the motion that the report be adopted to the fact that it was the opposition’s intent to bring back an amendment calling for the report to be adopted. But given that on Tuesday the minister presented the government’s response to the committee’s report, that move now seems redundant.
I will take the opportunity to make a few comments on the opposition’s first cut of thinking, having read the government’s response to this inquiry. It raises a number of concerns. From a brief discussion with members of the crossbench this morning, they share many of the same concerns.
It is actually quite galling that in the first four pages of the response we find more of a lesson on the separation of powers and the role of ministers and members of this place. I thought most of us understood what our jobs were. It actually fails to address the issue that prompted the inquiry by admin and procedure in the first instance.
Whilst the minister’s response to the committee inquiry states that they will agree in principle to one of the recommendations that was made and agree with the other, when you read the text that accompanies it, very little is changing. There is actually no appetite to change the visitation process for members of this place or members of the federal parliament visiting ACT government schools.
At a time when we are seeing significant issues in our schools, particularly around violence perpetrated against teachers and amongst students, and whilst there are significant questions around the performance of our schools in an academic sense, you would think that the government would be wanting to shine a light on the work that is being done in our public education system and showcase the successes rather than just shutting down any opportunity for members of this place to visit schools.
I should probably correct myself there. It is not to shut down the opportunity for all members of this place to visit schools; it is just those of the opposition. The minister’s conclusion was:
Non-executive members of the government may, from time to time, accompany or represent ministers at events that occur in government schools. This is a legitimate part of the responsibility of government members in promoting government policy, programs or financial investments.
It seems that it is okay for members of the government to use public schools as a platform for promoting the work they are doing but for members of the opposition to get to know what are central hubs of our community in our electorates is not up for grabs; it is not an opportunity that is being extended, unless, as the minister’s response says, you happen to be the shadow minister, and even then access to schools is extremely difficult.
The second recommendation was:
The Committee recommends that ACT Government schools be free to invite any Member of the Legislative Assembly to public events held at that school.
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