Page 2318 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 1 November 1989
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that I do not object to that per se. This was an area which was specifically identified by the Commonwealth Grants Commission as being "overserviced", and it is an area which I believe a government legitimately should consider for that purpose.
However, the Government deserves to be brought to task for two reasons: first of all, the way in which it has broken its clear election commitments to the people of Canberra, and, secondly, the totally inept handling of the closure issue.
I want to deal first of all with the issue of election commitments. In the policy document released by Rosemary Follett on 14 February this year, called Policies for a Fairer Canberra, the Labor Party pledged:
In general, no school will be closed or amalgamated unless the school community agrees.
The policy goes on to say:
If circumstances arise where the educational viability of a school due to significantly declining numbers needs to be examined, we will ensure thorough and genuine consultation with the community, based on recognised procedures. We are serious about our policy of participation.
It sounds wonderful, does it not? Mr Speaker, these comments are made in respect of schools. It crossed my mind to wonder whether they applied also to preschools. I have come to the view that the Government clearly meant them to apply to preschools. First of all, the Government has reiterated on several occasions its belief that preschool education is part of the education system; it is not merely child minding, and with respect I endorse that view.
Secondly, the Minister, in answer to a question I asked last week, was unable to provide the Assembly with any clear distinction between schools and preschools in this regard. Thirdly, the Government has repeated on many occasions its view that consultation is a very important issue with respect to preschools. I accept, therefore, that this was a reference to its policy of not closing preschools or schools unless school communities agree. Perhaps the Minister can make that crystal clear when speaking in this debate, in a way in which he was not able to do last week.
Preschool communities were assured by the Labor Party that no school would close or be amalgamated without their expressed agreement. They were told that, if numbers declined significantly, thorough and genuine consultation would take place. The Labor Party also pledged itself to abolishing the $6 a week preschool fee "guaranteeing that there is no loss to the education budget as a result". The
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