Page 2588 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 8 August 1990
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But, firstly, the Government has made no decision on this matter, although we have a comprehensive report that we are currently considering and, secondly, it is the Government's firm intention to secure the best possible pricing arrangements consistent with the long-term and secure supply of natural gas to all Canberra gas users. There is no prospect, Mr Acting Speaker, that any significant or unjustified increases in gas prices will result from any action or decisions of this Alliance Government, contrary to what would have happened if that lot had been in power.
School Closures
MR WOOD: I direct a question to the Minister for Health, Education and the Arts. I preface it by reminding him of some of the words that he used in this chamber in May. Within five minutes I picked out, without difficulty, four quotations from one Hansard volume. They relate to questions that I or my colleagues asked about details of costs and other factors relating to school closures. The Minister said, "It is impossible to estimate accurately the sorts of savings you are going to make until you know which schools you are going to close" and "questions of that kind cannot be answered till we identify what schools are going to be closed".
Mr Kaine: Here comes the double whammy, Gary; wait for it.
MR WOOD: No, it is the same old thing; we want him to be a bit consistent.
Mr Kaine: He will trap you one of these days into answering it.
Mr Humphries: In 1997.
MR WOOD: I have five quotations. You can laugh about it, but you told this Assembly that when you knew which schools would be closing you could tell us what the costs and the implications would be. Now you are backing off. Mr Berry asked about Rivett or Weetangera school. Let us take Cook as an example. I know it is hopeless to ask you about the costs of it because you do not know, but do you think it is important that you should know what the real costs of closing that school will be?
MR HUMPHRIES: Obviously.
MR WOOD: Obviously?
MR ACTING SPEAKER: Is this a supplementary question?
MR WOOD: Do you think it is important for your planning and will you reveal, as part of your planning, what those real costs are?
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