Page 2348 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 1 November 1989
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guidelines as stated by Dr Eric Willmot. The position is quite clear. There are two elements of the guidelines in relation to whether or not preschools should be reduced from full-time to part-time or from part-time to amalgamation with another preschool.
In tabling documents, Mr Humphries is merely tabling extracts from various things that Dr Willmot has said over a long period. Dr Willmot has stated two aspects and he stated them quite clearly. I have heard that from two people - one was a journalist and one was a member of this Assembly - who were present at that meeting. They have both reported to me that this is an accurate statement. Dr Willmot did refer to the figure 17 but he also qualified it by saying that it could not be examined in isolation, but it had to be looked at in terms of vacancies within the regional area. It is this qualification which is so important. Those with fewer than 17 will be closed, but those with more than 17 do not have a guarantee that they will remain open because there must be a requirement to examine the vacancies in the region.
In conclusion, I think that in an ideal world we would all like to provide a preschool on every corner, but we cannot do that. When the population contracts, a responsible and prudent government must take steps to respond and to ensure that the community gets the best use of the limited resources which are available to it.
MR STEVENSON (5.15): This matter greatly concerns many people in Canberra. In the Coalition I receive many letters from concerned parents about the closure of preschools. We have heard the suggestion that schools include preschools or that they do not include preschools. However, I have not the slightest doubt that, when the Government talks about schools not closing, in the minds of the mums and dads that includes preschools.
This talk about the closure of preschools is of a somewhat heavy-handed nature. What is wrong with a more valid look at what could be done to perhaps make them more effective and more efficient? I know that there was a media release from the Canberra Pre-School Society indicating their grave disillusionment with the ACT Labor Government's consultative process. We have certainly seen a lot of that, or perhaps I should say, a great lack of the ALP Labor Government's consultative process.
Members of the business community recently said that they were not fairly consulted about the payroll tax and the occupational health and safety legislation. The leaders of the Residents Rally and Liberal Party recently felt so strongly about the budget consultative process that was set up by the Chief Minister that they left the consultation process. In my own case in the "Legislative Assembly (Members' Staff Restriction) Bill" I have been trying to get some consultation through the Chief Minister for some time, with no effect whatsoever. So I can well understand
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