Page 110 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 14 February 1990
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assessment program because of the difficulties of booking the Erindale pool. It is so well patronised by primary school children and other groups that it is impossible for Kambah High to be allocated regular time slots. Arrangements would have to be made on an ad hoc basis which, of course, cannot be programmed into the school curriculum.
There is also, of course, a problem with buses because schools using buses have fairly restricted times - quite understandably - for their use. That is just one example of the need for another facility down there. As a former teacher, let me tell you how difficult it can be if you have got to travel for miles to take your kids to swimming classes. Every year the school system provides learn to swim classes for students, and that is the primary way by which children in this town learn to swim. As a teacher I have travelled with children. I know how annoying it is when you have to spend a great amount of time travelling; when you have not got the facility to hop on the bus and within 10 minutes be at the pool. If you have got to spend 20 or 30 minutes to get to your pool - and that happens on so many occasions - and then you double that for the return trip, it is a great deal of time out of the demands of a classroom. So the priority is clearly needed.
What is required now is that the Government accept the responsibility that it seems now to be bypassing. So I say to those people over there who claim to have an interest in this: accept for the proposed Tuggeranong pool the same measure of priority that the community and the Labor Party have given to it.
MR JENSEN (12.00): Mr Speaker, I rise to indicate quite frankly that it is disgraceful that this chamber this morning has been used for such a blatant attempt at political pork-barrelling, particularly in the run-up to a Federal election. It is now clear why Mr Whalan has brought on this debate today. I have here a letter from Mrs Kelly, the Member for Canberra - - -
Mr Kaine: For the time being.
MR JENSEN: My colleague Mr Kaine says "for the time being". I suggest that that might be the case when Mr Hawke finally gets around to announcing an election. However, let me proceed. Clearly Mrs Kelly and her advisers believe that they have to beat up and attempt to make political capital out of the issue of a pool for the people of Tuggeranong. I myself have indicated publicly on a number of occasions that it is time to take the politics out of this very important issue and get on with providing a facility that the people of Tuggeranong have required and needed for some considerable time. I will come to who is responsible for that later on during my brief remarks. However, let me read into the record this letter from Mrs Kelly. The letter is addressed, "Dear Tuggeranong Resident" and reads:
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