Ms MARTIN - 1998-10-14
After his last few answers the minister seems to deny any responsibility for training at all. My question is: The education review taskforce is supposed to conduct a comprehensive review of Territory education. The taskforce has no one on it with primary teaching experience, no one who has worked in the bush, no one who is indigenous and no one with English as a second language background. Why hasn’t the Country Liberal Party seen it necessary to make sure that these interests are represented on this taskforce?
ANSWER
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Yes, as the Treasurer says, I could have almost read this word for word too, in fact, from the letter from the union.
We have an education review going on at the moment. It is a taskforce that involves 3 people from education and 1 person from Treasury. The fact of the matter is all those interests are being taken into account. We are talking to all organisations across the board and all stakeholders. We are speaking to the peak bodies, we are speaking around the Northern Territory, we are going to the major centres and we are going bush. We are also having a very strong focus at primary school level. Now, you can certainly argue the fact that because you do not have a primary school teacher on it, then we are not looking at primary school, which is of course one of the most bizarre arguments I have ever heard. You then have to make the assumption that, in this particular review, we are only worried about secondary school, and that of course is not the situation. If the member for Fannie Bay can tell me one area or one interest group that is not being consulted and being listened to, then I am more than happy to take that up. But again, the only thing I can say at this stage is we are getting a wealth of information from primary schools, we are getting a wealth of information from isolated communities, we are getting a wealth of information from interest groups. Every interest group except one, and that is the interest group represented by 7 members sitting across here, because we are yet to receive one single word, one single form of feedback from members over there.
Now, I would have thought the opposition would have probably thought they might have had a role to play in this, but it is obvious that they have taken the decision that they will not have a role to play in this. I simply place on record my appreciation to all the stakeholders who have had input so far. The task group is working very hard at moving around the Territory and consulting. They will continue to do that over the next month. The reports I have had back so far is that there is a rich amount of information coming through; information, as I said, from everyone except the opposition.
ANSWER
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Yes, as the Treasurer says, I could have almost read this word for word too, in fact, from the letter from the union.
We have an education review going on at the moment. It is a taskforce that involves 3 people from education and 1 person from Treasury. The fact of the matter is all those interests are being taken into account. We are talking to all organisations across the board and all stakeholders. We are speaking to the peak bodies, we are speaking around the Northern Territory, we are going to the major centres and we are going bush. We are also having a very strong focus at primary school level. Now, you can certainly argue the fact that because you do not have a primary school teacher on it, then we are not looking at primary school, which is of course one of the most bizarre arguments I have ever heard. You then have to make the assumption that, in this particular review, we are only worried about secondary school, and that of course is not the situation. If the member for Fannie Bay can tell me one area or one interest group that is not being consulted and being listened to, then I am more than happy to take that up. But again, the only thing I can say at this stage is we are getting a wealth of information from primary schools, we are getting a wealth of information from isolated communities, we are getting a wealth of information from interest groups. Every interest group except one, and that is the interest group represented by 7 members sitting across here, because we are yet to receive one single word, one single form of feedback from members over there.
Now, I would have thought the opposition would have probably thought they might have had a role to play in this, but it is obvious that they have taken the decision that they will not have a role to play in this. I simply place on record my appreciation to all the stakeholders who have had input so far. The task group is working very hard at moving around the Territory and consulting. They will continue to do that over the next month. The reports I have had back so far is that there is a rich amount of information coming through; information, as I said, from everyone except the opposition.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016