PRINCE ALFRED COLLEGE INCORPORATION (VARIATION OF CONSTITUTION) AMENDMENT BILL

Referred to Select Committee

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Minister for Education, Minister for Early Childhood Development) (11:03): I bring up the final report of the select committee, together with minutes of the proceedings.

Report received.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Minister for Education, Minister for Early Childhood Development) (11:03): I move:

That the report be noted.

I thank honourable members for participating in this historic and probably briefest committee that has ever been undertaken in this house.

Motion carried.

Third Reading

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Minister for Education, Minister for Early Childhood Development) (11:04): I move:

That this bill be now read a third time.

Mr VENNING (Schubert) (11:04): I rise very briefly to thank the house for putting up the select committee. It was a privilege to serve on that committee. Yes, it has been one of the briefest committees I have ever been on, but it was a good opportunity to reflect on a fine South Australian institution—a school that really is performing. As was read into Hansard the other day about the reason it came through this house, it has been totally justified for an organisation that is performing as well as it does. Many of the most prominent citizens of this state, as I said in the house the other day, have come through this august institution. Again, without any further ado, I support this motion and I commend the select committee's finding to the house.

The SPEAKER: The member for Light.

The Hon. R.B. Such: You're not an old scholar, are you?

Mr PICCOLO (Light) (11:05): I am not an old scholar—probably one of the few here who is not an old scholar of Prince's. I will make a few comments in support of the motion. It is interesting that members opposite have waxed lyrical about this school, and they have every right to do so. One member, the member for Kavel, mentioned the things he learnt at this school, and members were at pains to say how it is an egalitarian school, and so on. How many schools actually require an amendment to an act of parliament to change their school constitution? Probably Prince Alfred and either Pulteney Grammar or St Peter's. That in itself shows how egalitarian this whole thing really is.

There are all these other schools in the state, which in my opinion do a fine job. I am not sure why the Catholic system or state system does not, so if we were really egalitarian about this we would be passing a bill to abolish this act and let it be incorporated like every other school in this state. But, no, here we want to acknowledge the special place in this state in the minds of those opposite of the two colleges, namely, Prince Alfred and St Peter's College—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr PICCOLO: —which I would have thought defeats the purpose. I can see no real merit in this.

Mr Venning: You've got a chip on your shoulder.

Mr PICCOLO: I don't have a chip on my shoulder at all—I have done very well, thank you. I won my seat—it was actually a Liberal seat, remember. When talking about chips on shoulders, perhaps we should look at the House of Lords and upstairs.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr PICCOLO: Madam Speaker, can I speak uninterrupted?

The SPEAKER: Order! Point of order, member for Morialta.

Mr GARDNER: On a point of order, the member for Light is being irrelevant to anything that could possibly be of interest to the people of South Australia.

The SPEAKER: I do not think a third reading speech can be irrelevant—continue on, member for Light.

Mr PICCOLO: Thank you. While I support this bill, at some point in time, if we are truly a mature and egalitarian society, we should pass in this place a bill to abolish those two acts which specifically pertain to two schools that try to retain their social standing and status in this society. As far as I am concerned, it is an insult to all other schools, both Catholic and independent, which do not have it. With those comments, I support the motion.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Minister for Education, Minister for Early Childhood Development) (11:08): I thank all members for their contributions.

Bill read a third time and passed.