John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I seek the indulgence of the chair to add to an answer.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister may proceed.

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to correct a slight mistake in an answer I gave to the member for La Trobe today. I said in my answer that the percentage of Victorian children enrolled in Catholic and independent schools was higher than in any other part of Australia. I should have said it was higher than in any other state. In fact the percentage in that category in the ACT is higher than anywhere else, but amongst the states Victoria has the highest enrolment of children in independent and Catholic schools at 35 per cent, against a nationwide average of 33 per cent.

Kim Beazley (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Prime Minister, weren’t you going to add to your answer and say that the Catholic teachers are also on strike on Thursday?

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat; question time is finished.

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Any teacher who goes on strike is not doing the right thing by their students, and I do not exempt anybody from that.