Mr HATTON - 2000-08-16
There have been a persistent rumour around the town over the last few months, referred to me by members of the school community of Nightcliff High School but referring also to Darwin High School, Jingili Primary School and other schools. The rumour is that the government is developing an intention of closing some schools. Can the minister advise whether there is any truth in these rumours, and indicate how they might have started and been perpetuated?
Ms Martin:I have heard the rumour - two schools.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, we just heard the interjection from the Leader of the Opposition. She started the rumour about two schools. This is classic Labor destabilisation and scaremongering, as the Treasurer said.
The Leader of the Opposition wrote to me on 10 February. In that letter she said: ‘I request an urgent briefing on the future of Darwin High School. There are rumours about it being relocated’. I wrote back to her three days later and said no. End of story. Obviously she didn’t understand ‘no’. She wrote back to me on 11 May and said: ‘Please provide me with information about the relocation of Darwin High School’. She obviously does not read the letters she gets. I wrote back to her the very next day and said: ‘No. Please refer to my previous letter in this correspondence’.
What part of ‘no’ don’t you understand? I can give schools an absolute assurance we have no plans whatsoever to close or relocate schools. But that doesn’t stop you. It is part of the destabilisation, the scaremongering campaign. You can do that. You can direct that at me if you like, that is part of the game. But you stand condemned for upsetting the parents and the students in the Territory. You have extended this. Your scurrilous campaign …
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr LUGG: I think I will enrol her in the new literacy campaign in the schools. We will start with simple words like ‘no’ or ‘do’.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order on both sides of the House! There is just too much interjection.
Mr LUGG: This campaign has been extended to include Nightcliff High School, Wagaman Primary School, Jingili Primary School and Ludmilla Primary School. None of those schools will be closed. There are no plans whatsoever. I wrote to the Leader of the Opposition and told her ‘no’. I wrote again and told her ‘no’. She can’t read.
It is another example of what Labor is up to. We saw it yesterday with the member for Stuart when he read out things. I quote from Hansard. He said Labor would ‘require schools to develop and apply locally-appropriate codes of behaviour’. I thought: ‘Where have I heard that before?’ He went on with what Labor would do with schools and things like that and I thought: ‘Where have I heard that before?’
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The minister will please resume his seat. I am not prepared to continue Question Time with the continual chatter. The Minister for School Education has the floor. I want to hear him. I am finding it very difficult.
Mr LUGG: The locally-applied code of conduct under the control of principals to an approved set of behaviour is straight out of my May statement to this House. He has shown us something there. He can at least read, which you can’t. Then he went on to talk about support for teachers, how it is completely lacking.
I will read out for your edification some of the support programs that are in place: orientation for new teachers; workplace induction; formal supervision of contract teachers; performance management; teachers of exemplary practice; mentoring; formal across-agency short courses; leadership development program; accelerated incremental advancement; special remote study leave; family travel subsidies; full-time study awards; teacher and industry placement; early intervention ‘nipping in the bud’ programs; rehabilitation and return-to-work programs; and employee assistance service programs, to name but a few. We have recently updated the conditions of service handbook for teachers, which gives in more detail all the support and programs for teachers. I table that.
The real fly in the ointment yesterday was the move with regard to a code of conduct and behaviour and how he is actually going to do it. It was about truancy, actually. He says: ‘I am very excited’. He was so excited about this that he did not turn up for the launch of his own truancy policy. Anyway, then he worked through it and he said: ‘Most times, a good professional staff and good students can fix the problem’. But getting beyond that - this is a devastating new measure he is going to introduce - he is going to get experts in.
Mr STIRLING: A point of order, Mr Speaker! The minister clearly answered the question asked of him very early on in his response. This is not a time for ministerial statements. It is Question Time. He has had plenty of time. He is boring the hell out of everyone.
Mr SPEAKER: I must say I do agree with the member for Nhulunbuy. The question was fairly specific and it has been answered. Would the minister please wind up his remarks as quickly as possible?
Mr LUGG: Mr Speaker, the answer is ‘no!’ That is spelled N, O, with an exclamation mark afterwards. No! Further, in order to combat the unnecessary anxiety caused by the opposition, I will write to all the school councils and give them my absolute assurance their schools will not be closed.
Ms Martin:I have heard the rumour - two schools.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, we just heard the interjection from the Leader of the Opposition. She started the rumour about two schools. This is classic Labor destabilisation and scaremongering, as the Treasurer said.
The Leader of the Opposition wrote to me on 10 February. In that letter she said: ‘I request an urgent briefing on the future of Darwin High School. There are rumours about it being relocated’. I wrote back to her three days later and said no. End of story. Obviously she didn’t understand ‘no’. She wrote back to me on 11 May and said: ‘Please provide me with information about the relocation of Darwin High School’. She obviously does not read the letters she gets. I wrote back to her the very next day and said: ‘No. Please refer to my previous letter in this correspondence’.
What part of ‘no’ don’t you understand? I can give schools an absolute assurance we have no plans whatsoever to close or relocate schools. But that doesn’t stop you. It is part of the destabilisation, the scaremongering campaign. You can do that. You can direct that at me if you like, that is part of the game. But you stand condemned for upsetting the parents and the students in the Territory. You have extended this. Your scurrilous campaign …
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr LUGG: I think I will enrol her in the new literacy campaign in the schools. We will start with simple words like ‘no’ or ‘do’.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order on both sides of the House! There is just too much interjection.
Mr LUGG: This campaign has been extended to include Nightcliff High School, Wagaman Primary School, Jingili Primary School and Ludmilla Primary School. None of those schools will be closed. There are no plans whatsoever. I wrote to the Leader of the Opposition and told her ‘no’. I wrote again and told her ‘no’. She can’t read.
It is another example of what Labor is up to. We saw it yesterday with the member for Stuart when he read out things. I quote from Hansard. He said Labor would ‘require schools to develop and apply locally-appropriate codes of behaviour’. I thought: ‘Where have I heard that before?’ He went on with what Labor would do with schools and things like that and I thought: ‘Where have I heard that before?’
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The minister will please resume his seat. I am not prepared to continue Question Time with the continual chatter. The Minister for School Education has the floor. I want to hear him. I am finding it very difficult.
Mr LUGG: The locally-applied code of conduct under the control of principals to an approved set of behaviour is straight out of my May statement to this House. He has shown us something there. He can at least read, which you can’t. Then he went on to talk about support for teachers, how it is completely lacking.
I will read out for your edification some of the support programs that are in place: orientation for new teachers; workplace induction; formal supervision of contract teachers; performance management; teachers of exemplary practice; mentoring; formal across-agency short courses; leadership development program; accelerated incremental advancement; special remote study leave; family travel subsidies; full-time study awards; teacher and industry placement; early intervention ‘nipping in the bud’ programs; rehabilitation and return-to-work programs; and employee assistance service programs, to name but a few. We have recently updated the conditions of service handbook for teachers, which gives in more detail all the support and programs for teachers. I table that.
The real fly in the ointment yesterday was the move with regard to a code of conduct and behaviour and how he is actually going to do it. It was about truancy, actually. He says: ‘I am very excited’. He was so excited about this that he did not turn up for the launch of his own truancy policy. Anyway, then he worked through it and he said: ‘Most times, a good professional staff and good students can fix the problem’. But getting beyond that - this is a devastating new measure he is going to introduce - he is going to get experts in.
Mr STIRLING: A point of order, Mr Speaker! The minister clearly answered the question asked of him very early on in his response. This is not a time for ministerial statements. It is Question Time. He has had plenty of time. He is boring the hell out of everyone.
Mr SPEAKER: I must say I do agree with the member for Nhulunbuy. The question was fairly specific and it has been answered. Would the minister please wind up his remarks as quickly as possible?
Mr LUGG: Mr Speaker, the answer is ‘no!’ That is spelled N, O, with an exclamation mark afterwards. No! Further, in order to combat the unnecessary anxiety caused by the opposition, I will write to all the school councils and give them my absolute assurance their schools will not be closed.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016