Ghost Speech Joins Ghost School, Teachers, and Pupils

DOGS are wondering whether Julia Gillard's speech/contribution at the "Future of Public Schooling In Australia" Education Forum will join the ghost school, teachers and pupils referred to in our recent Press Release 246 at www.adogs.info/pr246;Press Release 256 at www.adogs.info/pr256.htm;News Releases 266 at www.adogs.info/pr266.htm; Press Release 270 at www.adogs.info/270.htm

 Forum Announced

The  Newsletter of the New South Wales Primary Principals Association, Term 3, Week 10, 2008, revealed the following:

The NSWPPA Executive has been invited by the Editor of the Daily Telegraph, David Penberthy, and the Vice Chancellor of the University of Technology, Sydney, Ross Milbourne, to participate as guests in the 12th Education Forum, to be held on Friday 24th October. For the 12th Education Forum,  Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Education, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Minister for Social Inclusion, Julia Gillard, will be speaking on "The Future of Public Schooling "in Australia followed by an  hour of questions and comments from invited guests. A report on the forum will be published in the Daily Telegraph. Reporters from the Australian may also be attending. As guests, we will be invited to participate in discussions and will have the opportunity to put questions and comments to Julia Gillard.

DOG's Search for Julia Gillard's Speech:

i. Julia Gillard's Media Team.

On October 30, 2008, DOGS faxed Julia Gillard's Media team in Canberra requesting a copy of her speech/contribution at the Education Forum dated 24 October 2008. No reply has to date been received.

ii. University of Technology, Sydney

Having failed to receive a reply from Julia Gillard's office, on November 9 2008, DOGS faxed a request for help from one of the two convenors of the Conference itself, the University of Technology, Sydney. On 13 November 2008 DOGS received the following reply:

"I have been advised by the organisers of the Forum that we do not have a copy of Ms Gillard's speech that was given on 24 October 2008. The organisers suggest that you contact Ms Gillard's office directly to obtain a copy."

DOGS received no copy of the speech from the UTS, but at least they indicated that Ms Gillard had indeed spoken at the Forum.

iii. Daily Telegraph Blog: Maralyn Parker:

DOGS discovered on Maralyn Parker's Daily Telegraph blog on 28 October 2008, that Julia Gillard had turned up to the Forum and made a contribution and answered questions. DOGS sought assistance from Maralyn Parker on 10 November 2008 by fax. She has not yet responded to us.

iv.    Office of Senator Gavin Marshall

Having failed to receive any speech from the above listed sources, on November 14 2008, DOGS  sought , in writing, the assistance of the office Senator Gavin Marshall in their search for the speech/contribution of Julia Gillard to the Forum. On November 17, 2008 DOGS decided to obtain a response from the Senator's office. A rather helpful lady who looked bemused, informed members of the DOGS that she had contacted Julia Gillard's office but was unsuccessful in obtaining Julia Gillard's speech/contribution at the Forum. The explanation given was that the speech may have been 'off the cuff'. It appeared to the DOGS that Senator Marshall's office was willing to admit that Julia Gillard had spoken at the 12th Education Forum but we should approach Julia Gillard's office directly. DOGS left with the impression that, with the exception of a few notes, no real speech on the topic exists.

Ghost Speech?

Has the Forum speech joined the ghost train of a ghost school, ghost pupils and ghost teachers in the brave New World of the Julia Gillard Education Revolution.

DOGS are not surprised if there is no written evidence of such a speech in existence.

DOGS were surprised that Julia Gillard even turned up to an Education Forum with a title 'The Future of Public Schooling." They are even more surprised if she actually spoke on the future of public education in Australia.

In their Press Release 202 at www.adogs.info/pr202.htm DOGS noted the failure of the then leader of the opposition, Kevin Rudd, and the then shadow minister of education, Stephen Smith, to refer to public education or public schools in their official addresses.

In his victory speech Kevin Rudd decreed that fundamental differences between the public and private good in education no longer existed. Since that date, DOGS have had great difficulty in finding any references to public education in the statements of either Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard. The same does not apply to private religious education.

Since December 2007 Rudd has continued with this position. DOGS refer readers to Rudd's Press Club Address on August 27, 2008, referred to in our Press Release 263.

Given the fact that in at least eight Media Releases/ speeches  tracked by DOGS in the last twelve months, Julia Gillard has studiously avoided at all costs, any mention of public education. In actual fact, DOGS pointed out in their News Release 251 at www.adogs.info/pr251.htm and 263 at www.adogs.info/pr263 and 264 at www.adogs.info/pr264.htm that Julia Gillard's plan was to avoid talk about public education. What better way to destroy the reality by avoiding the concept?

Taking into account the above DOGS were dumbfounded to discover that she had even attended a Forum on the future of Public Schooling in Australia, other than to announce that in her privatisation policies, there was no future for public education or schools?   

 Invitation to the World at Large to Produce Any Evidence of Julia Gillard's Speech/Statements at the Future of Public Schooling Forum

Is there anybody in Australia who has notes or a copy of Julia Gillard's speech at the Future of Public Schooling Forum or was it just another Ghost Story?

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