John Murphy (Reid, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to pick up, firstly, the question by the member for Sturt in relation to the Australian Baccalaureate and also the member for Makin's question to you, Minister, about the National School Chaplaincy Program. I would like to record the deep appreciation of the constituents of Reid, whom I represent in this place, for those initiatives. I would also like to say how appreciative my constituents were in relation to other initiatives that were announced in this place just over five weeks ago. Specifically I am referring to the government's More Support for Students with Disabilities program. I have a number of children in my electorate who have been suffering disabilities, some profoundly so. The principals of those children's schools and the families of the students of those schools have expressed to me their deep appreciation for the assistance that our government is giving to them. Also in terms of the payments for great teachers, I think that for a long time teachers who have done such a great job in educating the future citizens of our country have probably felt that they have been neglected by governments of all persuasions. That has been very gratefully received, as has the Teach Next program and any number of initiatives in terms of our Indigenous Australians and the efforts by governments to improve their education and employment opportunities.

I know we have a very short time, and I do not need to say much more, but I would like to know what feedback you have received through your department, through your ministerial office and also from your electorate when you have been out and about. I well remember when you visited our vocational trade training centre in Burwood last year, which is a state of the art trade training centre which was converted from a Christian Brothers college by the Catholic Education Office last year. Subsequent to your visit—I do not know whether you are aware—the Prime Minister also visited the centre, and the Catholic Education Office cannot speak more highly of then Prime Minister Rudd and Minister Gillard's initiatives in terms of that investment. If you could deal with those in the short time that you have got and give us an update on how we are going, I would greatly appreciate it.

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