Page 111 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 24 May 1989
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announced that the Government had revoked the preschool fee. However, the Government has failed to address the question of alternative sources of savings. Can the Minister guarantee that there will be no reduction in the standard of preschool education?
MR WHALAN: The question raises the whole range of issues which face the Government at this time - that is, confronting a situation in which real term funding guarantees run out in a couple of years; that is in front of us. Behind us we have the reviews of the Grants Commission and the impositions that the Grants Commission's reviews have placed on us, and the commitments that they expect from us in order to comply with their assessment of our expenditure relationship with the rest of Australia.
The fee originally was introduced in that context. It was decided by this Government that it was not an appropriate way to make the adjustment. The member is quite right that we have not, at this time, indicated alternative sources of funding in relation to that.
What is important is that when we consider that, in the budget context, any decisions that are made in relation to that will be made in full consultation with the parents of the children who use the preschool system, and indeed the parents of children who are not yet in the preschool system, because they will probably be more involved.
We will consult the community on the options; we will consult the unions, and employees in preschools; and we will seek to come up with proposals which will not disadvantage the standard of preschool education in the ACT.
CANBERRA DEVELOPMENT BOARD
MS FOLLETT: Yesterday I undertook to obtain responses quickly to some questions asked by Mr Collaery. He asked me whether an audit of the Canberra Development Board, which allegedly had been recommended by officers of the ACT Administration, had been rejected by the Head of Administration. The answer to that question is that these events occurred before self-government and are therefore not the responsibility of this Government.
The Head of Administration has offered me the following advice on the matter. In 1987, in the course of the formulation of the 1987-88 internal audit work program, an audit of the Canberra Development Board was recommended for inclusion in that program. The suggestion was supported by officers of the Canberra Development Board.
Discussions between audit and senior staff of the Office of Industry and Development in 1988 agreed that at that time resources would be more effectively utilised in conducting
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