Page 2403 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 7 August 1990
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School Closures
MRS GRASSBY: My question is to Mr Humphries, the "don't know" Minister. As Minister for Education, do you, along with your three cabinet colleagues, Messrs Duby, Collaery and Kaine, accept the responsibility for the decision to close schools?
MR HUMPHRIES: Did you ask me, do we accept? Obviously Mrs Grassby has spent too long in opposition. She seems to have forgotten that the principle of Executive Government and responsible government means that Ministers share responsibility for issues. Perhaps her period in opposition has clouded her memory about these things. I realise that the period of time that she and her colleague - then colleague Mr Whalan, now colleague Mr Connolly - have spent fighting their other colleagues, Ms Follett and Mr - - -
Mrs Grassby: I am asking the question, do you take responsibility? I do not want to know anything about anything else.
MR HUMPHRIES: I have already answered your question in that respect, Mrs Grassby.
Mrs Grassby: Do you take responsibility? Yes or no? It is a simple answer.
MR HUMPHRIES: I can see the time you have spent fighting each other has made you wonder whether you have a responsibility to each other as well as to the people of Canberra.
Mrs Grassby: Cannot you give a simple yes or no answer? That is all I want. Yes or no.
MR HUMPHRIES: I can see that Mrs Grassby is embarrassed by my proceeding with this course of response.
Mrs Grassby: No, I am not embarrassed. I would just love an answer to a question from the "don't know" Minister. Mr Acting Speaker, could he get to the point? Could he give me a yes or a no answer?
MR ACTING SPEAKER: Order, Mrs Grassby. Mr Humphries, if you could get to the point - - -
MR HUMPHRIES: Mrs Grassby realises that I have touched a raw nerve - - -
MR ACTING SPEAKER: I have asked him to get to the point, Mrs Grassby, so you sit down and be quiet. Mr Humphries, please get to the point.
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