I have just announced a new inquiry into the provision of education to students with a disability or special needs. Interacting with the education system can be a frustrating and confusing experience for parents of a child with a disability or special needs, as they attempt to ensure that their child gets adequate support to reach their full potential. An area of concern for teachers and parents alike is the adequacy of funding for children with a disability or special needs attending NSW schools. The information on the inquiry click here. Submissions close on Friday 22nd January 2010.

As the Chair of General Purpose Standing Committee No.2, I am pleased to be able to announce the release of the Inquiry Report into the Bullying of Children and Young People, which has examined the extent of bullying, the prevalence of cyber-bullying and resources to tackle this issue. The committee found that NSW is not doing enough to address bullying and is not providing enough support to schools and teachers. For example, the national Kids Helpline receives more than 570,000 calls a year and almost half are from NSW. Yet the NSW Labor Government doesn't providing any funding to the service, unlike Queensland and Western Australia. The committee has made 25 recommendations in the report.

The NSW Coalition recently launched a Social Policy Framework called Smarter, Stronger, Healthier, Safer. The NSW Liberals and Nationals believe individuals and communities sit at the heart of our government and our society and we will adopt a whole-of-government approach to the delivery of social policy, based on a clear set of principles and supported by goals. These goals are grouped into Smarter, Stronger, Healthier and Safer. We want to hear your thoughts and contributions on this policy framework and we have opened up a consultation process to obtain your feedback. The dates for these meetings will be published in the local media and on the following websites: www.sshs.com.au, www.barryofarrell.com.au and www.andrewstoner.com.au. The closing date for submissions is 28th February 2010.

On the first anniversary of Nathan Rees as Premier, the state of NSW has nothing to celebrate. Nathan Rees promised to give it a ‘red hot go’ when he became Premier. If that’s the best he can do, then he should call it quits. He should give the people of NSW a say in who runs this state and call an election. It’s time to start the change in NSW to deliver better public transport and hospitals, create jobs and build infrastructure, and return police to our communities. The NSW Liberals/Nationals have positive, practical plans to restore the economy through lower taxes and support for business.