Page 3473 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 14 November 2006
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Mr Speaker, the minister said that the library had to close for two reasons and the two reasons were given. I do not accept the two reasons. High cost per loan was one. Where is the cost-benefit analysis of the high cost per loan? This library services an area that has some large blocks of public housing flats. We all know that in some of those areas there are difficulties and people need assistance and they should be given encouragement. We know that the Narrabundah primary school has an enormous concentration of indigenous kids and they should have a local library. The problem with what this minister puts forwards is that no thought has been given to those things. They are going to rob Peter to pay Paul so that they can put more services in Gungahlin.
Why haven’t you planned for that, minister? You have been in government for five years. Why haven’t you planned for that? In fact, I set up the original library service in Gungahlin. When it was a smaller community, we put in a small system whereby people could order books and get access to information from computer screens, always with a view to ensuring that that service would expand.
The minister cites the Kippax and Civic libraries. Gee, even Jon Stanhope acknowledged the other night when he launched the opening of the link at the Canberra Theatre that it started in my time. That refurbishment, a permanent home, a better facility for the Civic library, started under the Liberals, as did the planning for the Kippax library. It took a long time because we engaged with the community and we talked with the community to try to work out what it wanted, but not this minister: “Why would I ask what the public want because they will tell me I am wrong? So I am not going to listen to the public. I am just going to shut things. I am going to shut the Griffith library.”
What do we have in this report? I urge the entire Canberra community to go on line in the morning and look at Library services consolidation project—A report into ACT library services and see what is proposed by this government because of its ineptitude and its poor financial management.
The minister says that a book loan costs a little bit more, $2.55 instead of $1.74. Where is the cost-benefit analysis as to whom we serve? Do we know who borrows those books? Is it done predominantly by an older population? Is it done by a younger population? Is it done by a population from perhaps a lower socioeconomic group? Is there actually a long-term benefit to the government in paying the extra 80-odd cents per loan because it would save some kid from drug addiction, it would save some young woman from being subject to domestic violence or it would save some older person from loneliness and despair?
Is there a social benefit in this matter? Where is the analysis? There is no analysis. There is just a tome from the minister as justification for doing it. Why are we shutting the Griffith library? It is because the report says we should shut it. Minister, how about coming into this place tomorrow—perhaps you could do it by close of business today—and giving us the terms of reference for the report? If they are in the report, I do apologise, but I have not had time to read the full report. It would be interesting to see the terms of reference and what you actually asked the consultants to come up with because, if it was just a cut in services, you have achieved your aim,
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