http://www.hansard.act.gov.au/hansard/2006/pdfs/20060504.pdf
page 1218
MRS DUNNE: Mr Speaker, I ask a supplementary question. Minister, in the spirit of
engagement and involvement, will you table for the information of the Assembly the
workings behind the advice that you have given on a couple occasions now about the
costs of small schools?
MR BARR: During the process that we will be undertaking in the months ahead I
absolutely undertake to make public all of the information on which decisions are based.
I have no problems with that at all. It will be a public process.
Mrs Dunne: Will you table it today?
MR BARR: I may not be in a position to. I will not commit my office or the department
at this point. All I have are my own notes that I typed myself. I have read them out, so
perhaps that is not going to be particularly useful to you. It is already in the Hansard.
I will undertake throughout this process to engage publicly and openly. I believe the
community deserves no less. I am sure that were I not to be open in this process, you lot,
Dr Foskey and many others would be at me, and quite rightly would be at me, for not
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Legislative Assembly for the ACT 4 May 2006
disclosing the full information. That is fair and reasonable and that is exactly what I will
be doing. I believe that if we are to genuinely engage in a debate about the future of
public education, it needs to be done in an open and transparent way. We need to address
the fundamental issues that the system faces at the moment, and that is that there is not
equity across the system, nor is there the highest possible quality outcome for students
that we can deliver. I believe we can deliver better, and I am seeking to achieve that.
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