Page 4223 - Week 15 - Tuesday, 20 November 1990
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School Closures
MR STEVENSON: My question is to the Minister for Education. I have received a letter from a member of the Weetangera community who is greatly concerned about the foreshadowed closures of all schools, but particularly Weetangera. The writer wishes to know: Is the Minister aware of the efforts the community groups have made that would enable the Government to achieve its budgetary objectives at the same time as keeping the schools open? With the various options canvassed, do they not reflect the understanding that, by managing schools more effectively and securing savings in other ways, community interests and Government objectives could be reconciled?
MR HUMPHRIES: I think, Mr Speaker, that Mr Stevenson must be aware that the Government has made a decision that Weetangera school should not close and so I would expect the concerns of that person to be at least partly allayed, particularly as far as the Weetangera school is concerned. In terms of the other issues Mr Stevenson has raised, these are issues about which there has been endless and, I think, very full debate in the Assembly. The Government does not resile from the view that there is a case for the closure of some schools. It also has examined very carefully, very thoroughly, over the last several months, issues concerning alternative savings measures. It is partly as a way of picking up those alternative savings measures, including some of those which are mentioned in Mr Stevenson,s question, that the Government has now determined to establish a task force which will have the role of identifying strategies for dealing with such issues in the future.
We share the concern of the community that we establish a good basis for dealing with this issue in the future. I believe that, having made the decision in respect of those four schools, the mechanism is a very appropriate one and will carry with it at least the germ of hope that we can settle such debates in the future in a far more amicable fashion.
Arts Funding
MR STEFANIAK: My question is to Mr Humphries in his capacity as Minister for the Arts. I notice with interest three rather ridiculous badges the Leader of the Opposition, Mrs Grassby and Mr Connolly are wearing. If they think they are going to bust this Minister I think they have another think coming.
Mrs Grassby: I think he has already been busted, Bill. You do not have to worry about it.
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