CHRIS BAILLIE (ACT): I rise to take a short call on the Education (Strengthening Second Language Learning in Primary and Intermediate Schools) Amendment Bill. ACT opposed this bill at first reading but understand its importance. The reason for this isn't the intent; teaching a second language is a great thing. It's something we should be encouraging if it's feasible and desirable for a school and its students. My own kids many years ago became quite fluent in Spanish from watching Dora the Explorer. Young people just soak it up and this has to be encouraged. The reason for ACT's opposition is not the intent of the bill but the way Parliament, along with so much of how it seeks to involve itself in education, seeks to mandate and restrict the choices of schools. 