Page 2342 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 1 November 1989
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I believe that we have two approaches to a subject of this nature: one is to relate it to the Canberra condition and the other is to develop theories and stratagems that are all very well in the education debate but which do not focus really and closely on the problem that presents itself to preschool education in the ACT.
Some 20 years ago, the Canberra preschool system was looked upon as a leading, developing notion for Australia. I clearly remember at that time being engaged in the debates on this matter and in the active parental involvement in preschools. Preschooling is no new phase in Canberra's activities. The city has a very long preschool tradition and there has been a very concerned development of preschools in the ACT. In those days, of course, one went out with hammers and nails and built the tree houses - as well as all the rest of the school. So there is a Canberra tradition of preschooling, and I do not know whether we need to import the theories of Schweinhart. Certainly, those studies are useful in indicating some of the outside theory.
The real issues affecting the debate today are consultation by the Government, commitment by the Government and confidence in the Government. I believe that, on all three of those planks, the preschool issue again indicates the general failure of the Government to present credible governance of this Territory. When I say "credible" I refer, of course, to broken promises. There was an election promise given, that no school would be closed or amalgamated unless the school community agreed. Mr Speaker, I have circulated an amendment in my name, which adds a fifth paragraph to the motion. I move:
At the end, add the following paragraph:
"(5) deplores the ACT Labor Party's abandonment of its election promise that, '... no school will be closed or amalgamated unless the school community agrees'."
Mr Speaker, the consultative process has clearly broken down in the ACT and that is evident on the square outside. Whether there is confidence in the Government relates to wider issues and, of course, we heard today that, whilst there are $300,000 on-site amenities blocks being built for the land fill workers at Belconnen Tip, there is not the money to continue with some of the preschooling requirements in the ACT.
All that was required was $56,000 and, again, the goods have not been delivered by this Government. The real question is: how long do we put up with this level of polemical, semantic somersaulting by this Minister to get away from his principal interest in this Government - that is, a construction driven budget and a relationship with the parties involved in those things that is not as good and as fulsome as the relationship that he should have with
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