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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-05-03 Daily Xml
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PARINGA PARK PRIMARY SCHOOL

Ms FOX (Bright) (15:58): I rise to speak today about Paringa Park Primary School but, before I do, I would like to address something that the member for MacKillop mentioned in his deeply impassioned speech. I understand that he has particular views, and I respect him for having those views. However, I do not think that, in this particular instance, he should attribute feelings or motivations to members of government and, indeed, members of parliament, that he may or may not know occur. For example, he says that this government is an uncaring government. As a member of this government, I resent that deeply, bearing in mind also everything that this government has done about social justice, the homeless and all of those issues which, frankly, in the past the Liberal Party has been very happy to skate over.

Mr Marshall: I resent that.

Ms FOX: Well, break my heart. If you resent that, member for Norwood, then you have every right to stand up during your grievance and air your resentment as I am now.

Mr Marshall: I wouldn't waste the parliament's time.

Ms FOX: You wouldn't waste the parliament's time? So, the member for Norwood thinks that it is very unimportant to discuss issues of passion, issues of caring for people, issues of people's welfare, because that is unimportant to him. Instead, he chooses to make nasty jibes from the back of the room where he so rightly belongs and yet wishes to leave.

Mr MARSHALL: Point of order.

The ACTING SPEAKER: We have a point of order, which is pretty unusual in a grievance. Member for Norwood.

Mr MARSHALL: Madam Acting Speaker, I certainly ask the member for Bright to retract those statements which she is attributing to me—that I do not think social justice issues are important.

Ms FOX: But that is what you are saying—

Mr Marshall: No, sorry, that is a massive extrapolation from the point that I made, and it is completely and utterly unacceptable—

Ms FOX: Perhaps you should make your point more clearly.

Mr Marshall: —and I would ask you to ask the member to withdraw those remarks.

Ms FOX: Well, really, if you cannot explain yourself properly it is not my problem.

Mr Marshall: You are the one who is making a speech and you are making outrageous—

The ACTING SPEAKER: I ask that we stop the discussion across the chamber. I remind the member for Norwood that, although he may be aggrieved, he has a personal explanation in which he could exercise his grievance—or, in fact, a grievance. I understand you are down on the list so maybe you can address that issue there.

Mr Marshall: I would ask the member to retract those remarks.

Ms FOX: If, indeed, the member for Norwood is so distressed by being attacked by me—C. Fox, the member for Bright—some people have, in fact, likened to being attacked by me to being slapped in the face with a piece of wet lettuce. However, indeed, if that is so distressing to the member for Norwood I will, of course, withdraw any comment that I may have made which will cause him to go home and weep into his pillow.

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The ACTING SPEAKER: I ask the member for Norwood now to stop yelling across the chamber. Could you continue with your grievance, please.

Ms FOX: Indeed, I certainly will.

The ACTING SPEAKER: It's your time.

Ms FOX: Yes, I do have a short time but I like these little moments. I rise to speak today about Paringa Park Primary School, a primary school in my electorate.

Mr Whetstone: I went to Paringa.

Ms FOX: Did you? I would like to put on the record that the member for Chaffey went to Paringa Park Primary School and has done quite well—relatively well, comparatively well. Paringa Park Primary School is in my electorate. It was previously in the electorate of Morphett which, of course, is run by the member for—well, not run by—it is represented by the member for Morphett. In fact, before I finish what I have to say I would like to acknowledge the member for Morphett and the extraordinary efforts that he put into this school over the period of time he represented it because this school, completely separately from the Building the Education Revolution program, went through a massive rebuild funded by the state government (a Rann Labor government I might add) but with excellent representation from the member for Morphett.

The Minister for Education (Jay Weatherill) visited Paringa Park Primary School not long ago and I stand here today to thank him and also to thank the school.

Mr Venning interjecting:

Ms FOX: Sorry, what are you saying about numbers?

Mr Venning: Doing the numbers, is he?

Ms FOX: Doing numbers what?

Mr Venning: Is he doing the numbers for the leadership?

Ms FOX: You see, you may find this funny but he was actually there to talk to the governing council, to students and to teachers about the very important work that they are doing in the south-western suburbs.

Mr Venning: That's called doing the numbers.

Ms FOX: I am sorry about that, member for Schubert, but I am not going to listen to you any more because every time I do I get distracted. You are not here, as far as I am concerned.

There is some excellent work being done and it is a fantastic primary school. Thank you very much for having shown the minister around when you did. He was very impressed by what he saw there, particularly the art project involving their stobie poles. I cannot elucidate on that because I have been distracted by others. However, all in all, I would really like to express my thanks to Minister Weatherill for coming to that school, and also the principal, Mrs Di Atwa, who is a wonderful principal and in fact may have made me what I am today because she was my grade 2 teacher. So, thank you very much, and with that I conclude.

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