Tuesday, 5 April 2022

Shepparton ACE Secondary College

Ms LOVELL: Shepparton ACE Secondary College is a registered community-based secondary college that provides a safe, accessible learning environment which focuses on positive educational experiences and outcomes and creating pathways to tertiary study and employment. ACE college is a very important offering to 104 students in Greater Shepparton. Last week I participated in two very special events at the college. On Tuesday I was delighted to speak with their year 12 politics students, then on Thursday I was delighted to attend their community barbecue, which was a celebration of the college and also their official opening. The college was officially opened by musician and songwriter Neil Murray after Mark Gepp let the college down by withdrawing from performing the opening at the very last minute.

Ms Symes: You can’t even get the name right.

Mr Gepp: On a point of order, President, two things, and the Leader of the Government picked up on it: Ms Lovell continues this disrespectful pronunciation of the surname—I think it is probably just ignorance. But, secondly, she is misleading the house in terms of the final piece of her members statement. It is simply not true what she just put on the record, and she should withdraw because it is entirely inaccurate. I actually attended the college as originally planned on the Wednesday, and neither the ministerial office nor the department were advised about the Thursday afternoon, which the college acknowledged when I visited there on the Wednesday. So Ms Lovell actually should withdraw instead of misleading this house.

Mr Finn: On the point of order, President—

The PRESIDENT: Mr Finn, I am going to rule the point of order out.