Page 938 - Week 04 - Thursday, 7 May 2020
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support its argument. It took weeks of stubborn refusal to budge, citing “impracticalities” in refusing to back down from what was clearly a wrong decision. The minister, only today, suddenly dropped the news that the government would plan a move to reopen schools to face-to-face learning, starting with 18 May.
Whilst this is a step in the right direction, it leaves thousands of students still not able to formally return to school for almost another month, and it does not acknowledge the harm it has done to our parents, students and teachers over the past few weeks in dragging out the uncertainty with mixed and incoherent messages from the minister. The garbled announcement that schools are not closed but they are pupil free confused all parents. We had the premature announcement that schools would go online for the entirety of term 2, the disaster that has been the hub schools experiment, through to dropping this bombshell now, with little detail for parents and no notice to teachers on how this return to school will roll out.
Our children’s education, development and wellbeing are paramount, particularly in these unprecedented times. The way the government have handled their management of schools throughout this pandemic shows clearly that they do not get it. (Time expired.)
Legislative Assembly—sitting pattern—petition 4-20
MS LE COUTEUR (Murrumbidgee) (10.46): I will speak very briefly on the petition I was honoured to sponsor, calling for this Assembly to do its normal job of meeting. I understand that later today there will be an agreement to increase the number of sittings of the Assembly, so I am very pleased to see we are doing the job we should be doing as an important part of our democracy.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Standing orders—suspension
Motion (by Mr Gentleman) agreed to, with the concurrence of an absolute majority:
That standing order 79 relating to matters of public importance and those standing orders that prevent members observing physical distancing in the Chamber during proceedings be suspended for the remainder of this Assembly.
COVID-19 pandemic response—update
Ministerial statement
MS STEPHEN-SMITH (Kurrajong—Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, Minister for Children, Youth and Families and Minister for Health) (10.47): The last couple of months have been an extraordinary time for our entire community as we have dealt with the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. I would like to first acknowledge the significant impact this has had on our community, and I extend my sincere condolences to the families of the three Canberrans who have tragically died as a result of this virus. COVID-19 has caused a substantial amount of
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