Page 2546 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 8 August 1990
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by Mr Humphries (from 1,058 citizens).
Petitions received.
STANDING COMMITTEE ON ADMINISTRATION AND PROCEDURES
MR ACTING SPEAKER: As Acting Chairman of the Standing Committee on Administration and Procedures, I wish to inform the Assembly that at its meeting on Tuesday, 8 August, the committee resolved to consider and report on, as a matter of urgency, standing orders 200 and 201 and their application, particularly with regard to private members' legislation. I am sure all members will appreciate the need for such action.
SCHOOLS AUTHORITY (AMENDMENT) BILL 1990
MS FOLLETT (Leader of the Opposition) (10.31): I present the Schools Authority (Amendment) Bill 1990. I move:
That this Bill be agreed to in principle.
This Bill will amend the Schools Authority Act 1976 to prevent the closure of any primary school, high school or secondary college in the ACT. The Labor Party takes this action for two reasons. First, the Bill is consistent with the longstanding Labor Party policy of support for the neighbourhood school system. It gives effect to the specific promise which we made at the 1989 ACT elections that no school would be closed. The Bill demonstrates that we are prepared to give the force of law to the promise which we maintained during our period in office and in the preparation of the first ACT budget.
The second reason that the Labor Party proposes this Bill is that it gives every member in this Assembly a chance to vote one way or the other. In voting for or against the Bill, members will be making an unequivocal statement in the public arena, and can place their reasons on the public record during the debate. For far too long the ACT community has been subjected to confusion, dissembling and changes of attitude by members on the Government side. The confusion about whether particular members are in favour of or against closures and whether they want more information or not will be ended. This Bill is designed to prevent the devastation that will be caused to the Canberra community if the schools are finally closed.
Almost every Canberra suburb is designed around a central community precinct which includes its neighbourhood school, a shopping centre and other services. This design principle is very important for both educational and economic reasons. The neighbourhood school provides an environment where the school is a part of the community,
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