That this bill be now read a second time.

That all words after “That” be omitted with a view to substituting the following words:

“whilst not declining to give the bill a second reading, the House condemns the Government for:

(1)   bungling the implementation of the new arrangements for Indigenous education programs, including swamping in red tape the Parent School Partnership Initiative (which is replacing funding to 3,785 Aboriginal Student Support and Parent Awareness committees), resulting in the failure to deliver urgently needed funding to Indigenous students;

(2)   bungling the delivery of vital tutorial assistance resulting in serious delays in providing support to Indigenous students;

(3)   an Indigenous Year 12 retention rate of 39.1 per cent which is barely half of that for the non-Indigenous community;

(4)   presiding over a 2.8 per cent decline in the number of Indigenous VET enrolments, from 59,763 in 2002 to 58,087 in 2003;

(5)   policy settings which have resulted in a 3.2 per cent decline in the number of Indigenous student commencements in higher education between 2002 and 2003; and

(6)   failing to take an evidence based approach to its new Indigenous education funding arrangements”.