Mrs HICKEY - 1999-10-21
I refer again to the leaked Education Department report on Aboriginal education which says: ‘Senior management has been unwilling or has lacked the capacity to ensure a concerted and coordinated approach is taken to the improvement of educational outcomes for indigenous students’. It describes ‘a lack of strategic planning, coordinated management and cohesive implementation’. The minister criticises Aboriginal Territorians for poor education outcomes. He has been the minister for 2 years. Can he now explain why he has allowed his department to behave in such an appalling way?
Mr Toyne: We have known about this for years, why haven’t you?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, the member for Stuart could not help himself there.
I take it we are talking about the ‘leaked, confidential’ internal report on – which one are we talking about?
Mr Toyne: The IESIP review.
Mr ADAMSON: The IESIP review. Thank you very much. At least someone over there has a rough idea of what they are talking about, although that is debatable too.
If anyone wants to question the strategic direction of the department, we are laying that out now and we will be laying more of that out today. And if people have problems with that strategy I am quite happy to debate it in here. But when we have had issues raised here for debate, whether it be on the bilingual education program - we are yet to have a proper debate in this place on bilingual education. In fact, the only thing that the honourable member has been able to do is table his petition of the good people of Toorak and Palm Beach in Sydney and the like, the crew of the Cossack Warrior off the north coast of Australia.
I am quite happy to have that sort of debate in here and I think we should. I think it is important to question whether we have the commitment or the strategic direction. Let’s debate some of those strategies. Let’s debate that direction. But you don’t want to. You have had the chance in here time and time again to debate that sort of thing. I thought you would have been only too happy to debate something like bilingual education, but you haven’t. All you have been able to do is to send your blooming petitions down south to those having their caf lattes in Toorak.
I am more than happy to debate those things. If the opposition believes that there is a lack of strategy or disagrees with the current strategy, why don’t we have a look at those things piece by piece. Why do you refuse to debate them? Why do we go sittings after sittings with you not even raising a question? Not even raising a question. In the past you have put out press releases saying you will be going to the Parliament raising all these questions, then you never do.
We have a strategy. If the opposition disagrees with that strategy, by all means let’s debate it. But at least we have a strategy, unlike the people on the other side. That’s the problem.
We have asked one of your political colleagues to undertake a review for us. We haven’t hidden anything. We have said we will leave no stone unturned in this particular area. That’s what we’re doing. But you attempt today to pre-empt one of your own political colleagues.
We are committed to making a difference. We are committed to changing what needs to be changed. But it is a partnership. We have said it in this place before. It’s a partnership between us as the government, the Commonwealth and most definitely the community. These are matters that the opposition has never spoken about in here. I welcome that sort of debate, but it appears the opposition is unwilling to have it.
Mr Toyne: We have known about this for years, why haven’t you?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, the member for Stuart could not help himself there.
I take it we are talking about the ‘leaked, confidential’ internal report on – which one are we talking about?
Mr Toyne: The IESIP review.
Mr ADAMSON: The IESIP review. Thank you very much. At least someone over there has a rough idea of what they are talking about, although that is debatable too.
If anyone wants to question the strategic direction of the department, we are laying that out now and we will be laying more of that out today. And if people have problems with that strategy I am quite happy to debate it in here. But when we have had issues raised here for debate, whether it be on the bilingual education program - we are yet to have a proper debate in this place on bilingual education. In fact, the only thing that the honourable member has been able to do is table his petition of the good people of Toorak and Palm Beach in Sydney and the like, the crew of the Cossack Warrior off the north coast of Australia.
I am quite happy to have that sort of debate in here and I think we should. I think it is important to question whether we have the commitment or the strategic direction. Let’s debate some of those strategies. Let’s debate that direction. But you don’t want to. You have had the chance in here time and time again to debate that sort of thing. I thought you would have been only too happy to debate something like bilingual education, but you haven’t. All you have been able to do is to send your blooming petitions down south to those having their caf lattes in Toorak.
I am more than happy to debate those things. If the opposition believes that there is a lack of strategy or disagrees with the current strategy, why don’t we have a look at those things piece by piece. Why do you refuse to debate them? Why do we go sittings after sittings with you not even raising a question? Not even raising a question. In the past you have put out press releases saying you will be going to the Parliament raising all these questions, then you never do.
We have a strategy. If the opposition disagrees with that strategy, by all means let’s debate it. But at least we have a strategy, unlike the people on the other side. That’s the problem.
We have asked one of your political colleagues to undertake a review for us. We haven’t hidden anything. We have said we will leave no stone unturned in this particular area. That’s what we’re doing. But you attempt today to pre-empt one of your own political colleagues.
We are committed to making a difference. We are committed to changing what needs to be changed. But it is a partnership. We have said it in this place before. It’s a partnership between us as the government, the Commonwealth and most definitely the community. These are matters that the opposition has never spoken about in here. I welcome that sort of debate, but it appears the opposition is unwilling to have it.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016