Mr MILLS - 2006-10-19
Plagiarism clearly deeply offends you. How are you coping with the revelation that your own Chief Minister has plagiarised a CLP policy entitled Chief Minister’s Reading Rewards Challenge? You did not have to Google it; it was delivered to your letterbox. The CLP will invest in children’s reading – it is called Chief Minister’s Reading Rewards Challenge. Minister, once you have adjusted to that shock, will you be ready to swallow your pride and announce a food standards policy to support families and schools in combating childhood obesity?
ANSWER
Mr Acting Speaker, I thank the member for Blain for his question. When the awards were announced today, I acknowledged that we had bipartisan support. I acknowledge that the CLP have policy initiatives in this area, but the initiatives we announced today expanded on what the CLP announced previously.
We all agree - and it is good to see there is bipartisan support, as shown over the last couple of days - that the number one priority for our schools and education system throughout the Northern Territory is kids leaving that education system being able to read, write and count. Until we have every child in the Northern Territory leaving our education system at the national benchmarks, our job is not done.
The initiative outlined today by the Chief Minister and supported by all members in this House will help encourage kids to share in the joy of reading. It is not only that the joy of reading lasts a lifetime; it gives those kids the opportunity to participate in the broader community, and every Territory kid should have that right.
Mr MILLS: A point of order, Mr Acting Speaker! The minister well knows that we fully support this program, but the thrust of the question is a different matter. It relates to another policy. I am wondering whether the member will swallow his pride and consider the question. We support it.
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Please continue, minister.
Mr HENDERSON: That is the priority for me as minister and for this government.
On the matter the member opposite has raised in respect of colour coding food and having every canteen in the Northern Territory have to put stickers on various items of food, that is a road we will not go down.
Members interjecting.
Mr HENDERSON: I encourage all parents to ensure that their children eat a healthy, balanced diet, and all schools, through their school councils, to ensure that there is a balanced diet for all children at the school canteen. Will we be insisting that every person who runs a canteen or tuck shop in the Northern Territory has to put a little red, green or yellow sticker on every item of food and legislate in this parliament for that to happen? The answer is no.
ANSWER
Mr Acting Speaker, I thank the member for Blain for his question. When the awards were announced today, I acknowledged that we had bipartisan support. I acknowledge that the CLP have policy initiatives in this area, but the initiatives we announced today expanded on what the CLP announced previously.
We all agree - and it is good to see there is bipartisan support, as shown over the last couple of days - that the number one priority for our schools and education system throughout the Northern Territory is kids leaving that education system being able to read, write and count. Until we have every child in the Northern Territory leaving our education system at the national benchmarks, our job is not done.
The initiative outlined today by the Chief Minister and supported by all members in this House will help encourage kids to share in the joy of reading. It is not only that the joy of reading lasts a lifetime; it gives those kids the opportunity to participate in the broader community, and every Territory kid should have that right.
Mr MILLS: A point of order, Mr Acting Speaker! The minister well knows that we fully support this program, but the thrust of the question is a different matter. It relates to another policy. I am wondering whether the member will swallow his pride and consider the question. We support it.
Mr ACTING SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Please continue, minister.
Mr HENDERSON: That is the priority for me as minister and for this government.
On the matter the member opposite has raised in respect of colour coding food and having every canteen in the Northern Territory have to put stickers on various items of food, that is a road we will not go down.
Members interjecting.
Mr HENDERSON: I encourage all parents to ensure that their children eat a healthy, balanced diet, and all schools, through their school councils, to ensure that there is a balanced diet for all children at the school canteen. Will we be insisting that every person who runs a canteen or tuck shop in the Northern Territory has to put a little red, green or yellow sticker on every item of food and legislate in this parliament for that to happen? The answer is no.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016