Page 2350 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 1 November 1989
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not be occurring. Let us give the preschool mums and dads the freedom of choice in the same way as they should have it in the area of fluoride.
MR HUMPHRIES (5.22), in reply: I just want to sum up quickly, Mr Speaker. I will not take a moment. Having had aspersions cast not only on my philosophy but also on my virility, I think the Chief Minister's comments deserve a reply - - -
Ms Follett: The Deputy Chief Minister, Mr Humphries. I have never questioned your virility!
MR HUMPHRIES: I apologise sincerely, Chief Minister, for confusing you with the Deputy Chief Minister; that is a heinous mistake which I hope never to repeat. The Government has made a very strong case for saying that there are sometimes good reasons for closing preschools, and I do not dispute that. I do not think anybody here would say that preschools must always stay open whatever the circumstances, and I would hope that no-one reading or listening to this debate would make that assumption.
But that is not the point of this motion or the amendments that have been moved to it. The point of the motion is to address the Labor Party's failure to comply with its own election promises. That is the issue. The issue there is how the Government proceeds with the task of closing preschools. That was central to its promise to the electorate in the recent campaign and it is central to this motion.
The fact is that the Labor Party bought votes, hand over fist, in the recent election by appealing to parents, and particularly preschool parents, by saying, "We, the Labor Party, have better credentials in the area of education than do our opponents. Therefore, vote for us. We are the ones who will save your schools. We are the ones who will abolish your preschool fees. We are the ones who will deliver what the other parties cannot". Now, this Government is going back on its word and it should be held accountable to the people whose votes it bought so shamelessly. It should be held accountable for those broken promises, and that is what this motion is all about.
Amendment agreed to.
MR MOORE (5.24): I move:
At the end, add the following paragraph -
"(6) urges the Labor Government to assure the Assembly and the community that no preschool will be closed (or amalgamated) for 1990 without the full agreement of the local area advisory group and the Canberra Pre-school Society.".
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