Page 3625 - Week 13 - Tuesday, 16 October 1990
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Taxation (Administration) Act -
Determination for the purposes of the Financial Institutions Duty Act 1987 - No. 66 of 1990 (S66, dated 28 September 1990).
Determinations for the purposes of the Payroll Tax Act 1987 - Nos. 64 and 65 of 1990 (S66, dated 28 September 1990).
Stamp Duties (Marketable Securities) Determination - No. 67 of 1990 (S71, dated 28 September 1990).
SCHOOL CLOSURES
Discussion of Matter of Public Importance
MR SPEAKER: I have received a letter from Mr Wood proposing that a matter of public importance be submitted to the Assembly for discussion, namely:
The closures of neighbourhood schools will impose heavy social costs on local communities.
MR WOOD (3.08): Mr Speaker, I do not know whether to apologise to Mr Humphries for raising this motion, or to complain about him. When his office did me the courtesy of advising me that he would not be in today, my colleagues and I did consider whether we should continue with this matter, which we had planned yesterday, or whether we should defer it. We did not intend to drag Mr Humphries in, and I am sorry we have; but we decided that it would give a good opportunity for some other members in the Government to stand up and defend what the Government is doing.
So, I am a little sorry, Mr Humphries, both for your ill health and for the fact that you are here, because I wanted Mr Stefaniak to stand up and defend what his Government is doing in closing down three schools in his suburbs of Weston Creek. I thought he might have some sound arguments for that. I thought Ms Maher would take the opportunity to stand up and defend the closures of Higgins and Weetangera schools which are in areas adjacent to where she lives. I thought Mr Collaery might finally say something in this chamber about school closures. He might say something publicly which would give us some view of where he stands in this matter. We thought that the debate would be a good one and that it would allow members other than Mr Humphries to express their views, and maybe preclude them in the future from hiding behind Mr Humphries' skirts. To date, these members have generally been condemned by their silence. They have not stood up and spoken for the schools, nor have they stood up and defended the Government's action.
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