Alannah Mactiernan (Perth, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Bass for raising this important issue—and much of what he has said I would agree with. People will perhaps recall that, in my maiden speech, I dealt with some of the failures of our education system, particularly in relation to the teaching of literacy. But I want to use the opportunity today in this debate to really talk about how, unfortunately, the Minister for Education has now got to a position where he is totally missing the most fundamental building block in this whole picture.

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