FINN IN THE HOUSE Speeches July 2010 to December 2010 Published by Bernie Finn MP Member for Western Metropolitan Region Acting President of the Legislative Council 277 Hampshire Road, Sunshine Victoria 3020 Telephone (03) 9312 1212 • Fax (03) 9312 4598 Email [email protected] Web www.berniefinn.com FINN IN THE HOUSE Speeches July 2010 to December 2010 Contents Werribee Secondary College: International Baccalaureate ..................................3 Electoral Amendment (Electoral Participation) Bill .................................................3 Minister for Environment and Climate Change: comments .................................4 Reference .................................................................................................................................5 Office Of Police Integrity: Production Of Documents .............................................7 Attorney-General: conduct ..............................................................................................7 St Albans: Anglican church emergency relief centre .............................................8 Police: Craigieburn ...............................................................................................................8 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission: Final Report ....................................9 Australian Labor Party: federal leadership ............................................................... 10 Autism: western suburbs schools ................................................................................ 10 Rail: Laverton station........................................................................................................ 10 Government: Production Of Documents .................................................................. 11 Reference .............................................................................................................................. 11 Greens: support ................................................................................................................. 12 Ambulance services: Craigieburn ................................................................................ 12 Rail: public safety ............................................................................................................... 13 Climate Change Bill .......................................................................................................... 14 Sport governance and inclusion project: member .............................................. 15 Sunbury Road: traffic management ........................................................................... 15 Blue Ribbon Day ................................................................................................................ 16 Water: Werribee irrigation district ............................................................................... 16 Schools: Funding ............................................................................................................... 16 Vietnamese community: rally ....................................................................................... 17 Adequacy and future directions of public housing in Victoria ......................... 17 Babes Project: funding .................................................................................................... 19 Autism: western suburbs schools ................................................................................ 19 277 Hampshire Road, Sunshine Victoria 3020 • Telephone (03) 9312 1212 • Fax (03) 9312 4598 Email [email protected] • Web www.berniefinn.com IN 2 JULY 2010 - DECEMBER 2010 FINN THE HOUSE COUNCIL | Adjournment 27 July 2010 the education department to keep the decide their lives. IB accreditation. These places make decisions that Come Saturday it is gone. It would will direct them as to how they live be a huge loss for the people of the and, quite often, where they live. Werribee western suburbs; it would be a huge It distresses me enormously when loss for the people of Victoria. Sadly the I speak to people who are totally Secondary local Labor members, Tim Pallas, the ignorant of how our government runs. member for Tarneit in the Assembly, We as a nation have a fair bit to College: and the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, answer for because our schools have have taken the lead on handballing failed a number of generations in this International the issue between themselves and the area. The sooner we start to teach some education department. What is par for real civics — if that is the classification Baccalaureate the course, and what we have come — in schools so that young people Mr FINN (Western Metropolitan) — I to expect from them, is nothing being understand what the system is about, wish to raise a matter for the attention achieved. the sooner we will be doing our of the Minister for Education. It We are staring down the barrel, as is country and ourselves a huge favour. concerns some correspondence I have Werribee Secondary College, of this I was pleased to hear the previous received this evening from Sheridan dreadful decision on Saturday unless speaker talk about compulsory voting Ingram, who is contesting the seat the education department can get its in her last few words. I do not believe of Lalor for the Liberal Party in the act together over the next couple of in automatic enrolment because I do forthcoming federal election. What an days. not believe in compulsory voting. I outstanding member of Parliament she I ask the Minister for Education to believe the most important reform this would be. She would be a significant intervene tomorrow in this matter Parliament could make in the area of and vast improvement on the as a matter of urgency to ensure that voting is the abolition of compulsory incumbent member. Werribee Secondary College is given voting. The correspondence I received says: the necessary support it needs from I believe that forcing somebody to I have just learnt that years of the education department to keep this the ballot box under the threat of a fine work by Steve Butyn, the principal, most prestigious honour and to ensure is a blight on democracy. It is about and staff of Werribee Secondary that Werribee Secondary College is time we as parliamentarians took that College to provide world-class kept right up there at the forefront of on board. If we have a right to vote we education and integrate the school education in this state. into the international community should also have a right not to vote. are to come undone by the inaction We see that in the United States of of Labor and the state education COUNCIL | Second Reading America, we see that in Great Britain department. 27 July 2010 — we see that in so many of the major Werribee Secondary College democracies around the world, where is a state school that has taken the people — — initiative to improve the education Mr Barber — You have a right; you do opportunities and experiences of Electoral have that right. its students by investing time and Mr FINN — I know what Mr Barber resources over the last five years to Amendment is getting at. We are not compelled to achieve accreditation to offer the vote; we are compelled to either show International Baccalaureate course. (Electoral Werribee Secondary College has up at the polling booth on election day complied with all requests and or in some other way have our name guidelines handed down by the Participation) Bill struck off the roll during the course of Mr FINN (Western Metropolitan) — I an election. I know what Mr Barber is education department in relation to briefly join this debate this evening gaining the department’s approval for saying. to express a couple of points of view offering the course, but left with no Mr Barber — Fifteen minutes every response. which may or may not be heard in this Parliament at this time. It distresses four years. After much hard work on the me enormously as a member of Mr FINN — I know it is 15 minutes part of the school the International every four years. If I could do it more Baccalaureate accreditation Parliament and a participant in political life for pushing 40 years — than once I would, believe me, but I do was granted last April on the not. condition that the approval from would you believe it? It is a very long the educational department would time — when I see the whole range Mr Barber interjected. formally follow within 12 months. The of areas and what might be described Mr FINN — Some of your mates, approval has not been forthcoming as criteria for the people, whether Mr Barber — or should I say Minister and no explanation has been they be young people or old people, Barber? — perhaps vote more than provided over the duration by the whom ignorance cuts across. It could once, but that is something that I will education department. The situation be age, it could be gender or it could not go into. is now critical with the International be geographic configurations — a Baccalaureate organisation left with The ACTING PRESIDENT (Mrs no other option than to withdraw the whole range of areas. They are people Peulich) — Order! The member will accreditation — who just do not know anything about address Mr Barber by his correct title. the political process and do not want this Saturday — Mr FINN — I am sorry, Acting to know anything about the political President; I am just getting in early. unless the approval from process. They would not know a I am feeling a bit clairvoyant tonight the education