Wednesday, 16 August 2023

Inclusive education

Matthew BACH (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (12:16): My question now is to the Minister for Disability, Ageing and Carers. The state disability plan assures Victorians that the government will ‘meet its obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities’. Numerous stakeholders, however, argue that the government’s cuts to specialist teachers of children with disabilities are in breach of this convention. Are they wrong, Minister?

The PRESIDENT: Dr Bach, would you like to rephrase the question so it is not asking for an opinion?

Matthew BACH: Thank you, President. I confess I did check that. On a number of occasions in this house this exact question has been asked, most recently on 31 May. I am advised it has never been ruled out of order previously, so, President, based on that research – that I had undertaken, I confess ‍– I did feel that, because on the many occasions this question has been asked it has always been deemed to be in order and has never been asked to be rephrased before, it would be an appropriate way to ask my question.

The PRESIDENT: ‘Are they wrong?’ sounds like asking for an opinion to me. I will do something I do not usually do, and I will refer to the boffins on this one.

It is probably good that I went to the VAR. I was prepared to actually let it go through and then speak about it later, but the issue is that we have got the anticipation rule where there is a motion that was postponed till later this day on this exact topic. I am not going to take a question away. I will not knock a question out; another question can be asked later.