Page 1940 - Week 07 - Thursday, 31 May 1990
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Prime Minister and ask him to release to us the money that should have been spent in the hospital in the first place so that we can now spend it and keep the hospital open, I would be prepared to reconsider. That is a fact.
MR STEVENSON: I have a supplementary question. Yes, I heard the report yesterday. I am fairly certain that I heard that it does not matter how many signatures are received - I will certainly check that matter - but the reason that people were not really going to be heard on that issue was money. Looking at the fact that a majority of Canberrans do not want to obtain loot from lust, would the Chief Minister indicate whether a number of Canberrans can be heard in this area if they submit a petition?
MR KAINE: If this Assembly is of a mind to change its view from what it expressed quite recently, that it will not support banning of this material, then of course I will look at the options there also.
School Bus Services
MR WOOD: Mr Speaker, I direct a question to the Minister for Education. If in the certain event that under his administration some schools will close, will he undertake to provide bus transport in those circumstances?
MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, of course we have to provide bus transport to schools and of course the Government accepts responsibility for that. I have to say that the Government is at the present time reviewing the arrangements for bussing of school students. I believe there is significant capacity for us to improve the way in which we deliver those services. There is no question, however, of continuing to maintain services as they are presently structured.
It is important that we provide that service because it is an important part of access to schools themselves and an important part of the element of choice of which I spoke this morning in the debate on my statement on education. I cannot tell Mr Wood just what services will be maintained, if that is what he is asking. I cannot guarantee that the structure of the service to whichever schools remain open will be identical to the structure that has gone on before. Obviously, with a new school structure we have to make modifications. I see no reason to reduce overall the quality or the quantity of bus services to our schools. However, like many other questions that are on the tip of Mr Wood's tongue, this question will have to wait until the exact number of schools to close is known and they are identified and so on before we can actually answer those questions in full.
MR WOOD: We would wish, Minister, that you knew more about all the implications of school closure before you acted so
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