Page 2170 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 6 June 1990
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context of those criteria already released, and the work that we do in respect of school closures will also have to be justified in terms of the demographic impact on the ACT.
That is work, I suspect, that has been done in respect of every school closure for a number of years, particularly those that occurred at the end of 1988, and this case will not be an exception. In other words, demographic work will be done. It will be appropriately produced for the benefit of Mr Berry and others in the community who want it. But I cannot say when it will be produced; I do not know what kind of work is involved.
In response to the suggestion that emerged from today's Canberra Times, I certainly can say that I do not believe it is appropriate that we need a period of two years - or whatever extended period was referred to by the Canberra Times article - to conduct that kind of demographic study. I believe it can be done in a shorter time frame than that, and of course we will be looking to that in the context of these closures.
MR BERRY: I ask a supplementary question. Does that mean that the means will be planned after the end is reached? It is a question of means and ends, and it seems to me that we will have a planning exercise that is done after the event, and therefore you will justify the means after you already have the end.
MR HUMPHRIES: I do not think Mr Berry fully understands the process that the Government has initiated here. We have released draft criteria which indicate the way in which we propose to close schools - in other words, the basis on which we propose to identify and then close particular schools. The demography of the ACT is not one of the criteria that are being used.
Whether that is appropriate or not, I would not wish to say at this point, since I have asked the community to respond on that. I fully expect that in the course of the next few days, when the submissions to the Government on that question close, a number of suggestions will come forward on a number of matters. For example, it is quite conceivable that the social impact - and that, I suppose, is partly embraced in the term "demography" - should be measured as one of the indicia that the Government has to look at to establish whether a school should stay open or should close.
If that is one of the criteria, that means we have to sit down and look at that factor. But we cannot look at that in isolation from the other criteria. That means that we have to look only at those things which are criteria and not other issues. If Mr Berry suggests that demographic features ought to be part of the criteria, he should suggest that to the Government and ensure that it is included in the amended criteria when they are released.
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