Page 1930 - Week 07 - Thursday, 31 May 1990
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a minute and a half will not allow me to do so. So let us have a look at who is responsible.
We understand that the major media organisations are indeed responsible for presenting all sorts of scares to the public, as I have already illustrated. We well remember that fossil fuels were going to run out - some said that by 1990 there would be no more. If you check your research you will find that we now have more recorded fossil fuels available on this planet than ever before in the history of man. I do not say that we should waste it, but that is the truth of the matter.
On 22 May 1989, the Sun newspaper reported that Senator Graham Richardson was proposing to find ways for the Commonwealth to assume State powers on environmental laws. He suggested a referendum to transfer State powers to the Federal Government.
Mr Berry: Is that a good idea?
MR STEVENSON: No, indeed it is not, as you should well understand. That is what the Constitution Act was all about; it delineated just how far Federal power could go. I think that Lord Acton said it better than anybody else and I do not need to repeat his statement. We need to be wary about ever larger control. When I get another chance to go into this field in more detail I will welcome it. We need to do something about studying the truth of the matter before we take economic and legislative measures.
Debate adjourned.
Sitting suspended from 12.28 to 2.30 pm
QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
School Consolidations
MS FOLLETT: Mr Speaker, I would mention that we have the students and some staff from St Bede's School in the chamber with us today. My question is to the Minister for Education, just for a change, and I refer the Minister to the Education Department's assessment that the closure of primary schools in 1988 produced gross savings of $200,000 per primary school. Can the Minister inform the Assembly what additional costs were imposed on the administration of the enlarged remaining schools? What other costs, such as transport, were imposed on the community as a result of the school closures?
MR HUMPHRIES: What Ms Follett means by "imposed on the community" is a bit hard to ascertain. I assume she means things like additional costs entailed on the part of parents in taking their children a bit further to school than might otherwise have been the case, or whatever.
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