Page 1830 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 30 May 1990
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It is clear that Government members do not understand what schools are about, and I think that is a great shame. Ms Maher spoke about the planning that brought us to this situation. There is no denying that we are in this situation because of planning - which we have mostly supported in our system - over a great number of years. But it is a planning structure that imposes a great deal in a community; it is a carefully detailed planning structure - - -
Mr Humphries: And we cannot afford it any more.
MR WOOD: Well, you cannot demonstrate that. You refuse to put figures on that. You cannot prove that. Do not say it if you are not prepared to prove it.
I suggest that Ms Maher read a comment by one of the former NCDC planners in this week's Chronicle, because it does point to the planning argument, a fact we acknowledge. But more recent planners have caught up with this and have planned schools with a smaller core. We have schools now in Tuggeranong planned for 360 students. But given that number, the Government will have to close them all. That is a nonsense, is it not?
I particularly want to talk about Mr Collaery, who said that we were quarantining education. No, we do not want to do that; we have not set out to do that. What we would do and what we require you to do is to establish a priority.
Mr Collaery: Why don't you say that at public meetings?
MR WOOD: You have not heard me. You have not been at the public meetings I have been at, have you? That is what you need to do, Mr Collaery.
I particularly want to refer to the rubbish, the nonsense remarks that Mr Collaery made about disadvantage. He worked himself into some sort of frenzy about that. I wish that Mr Collaery would talk to Mr Humphries about that because that is exactly one of the things we are trying to say to him, and he just cannot hear us. We are trying to say to him that if you close schools you will cause disadvantage. These are the factors that he ought to be considering, apart from those purely economic ones.
Mr Collaery: He is.
MR WOOD: Well, he has never said it.
Mr Kaine: He is.
MR WOOD: He is? But you told me - - -
Mr Collaery: Do you want to see the letters?
MR WOOD: Yes, please. Table them. So you are having to shove down his throat the fact that there are factors other
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