Page 2611 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 8 August 1990
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shift school and whose parents do not want to move - it becomes a very large problem that is unrecognised on the other side of the house.
Finally, let me tell you about a person with no connection to a school at all. I do not rate this as the most important thing; I say it last because it is much less important. Some years ago this person bought a house abutting green space around a school. Now he is considerably distressed because, first, if infill housing is to go there - and that is not yet determined - the value of the house will diminish. If the school goes, as it is, the value of the suburb generally will decline a little. That person, who has no children at school, and no immediate concern about the school, is worried. But you can see that for the teachers, parents, children and the community generally, the impact of these closures is simply enormous, and I do not think the Government fully understands that.
MR HUMPHRIES (Minister for Health, Education and the Arts) (3.48): Mr Acting Speaker, I know that there is very little interest on the part of members of the Opposition in this sort of debate.
Mr Wood: You did not jump up a minute ago! You did not take your jump when you could have taken it so do not start like that, for heaven's sake!
MR HUMPHRIES: Once again Mr Wood is here without Mr Berry and that seems to have caused some strange reaction.
Mr Wood: Have a look behind you! Come on! That is not the way to proceed.
MR HUMPHRIES: Before you get carried away, Mr Wood, I was not referring to the call. I was referring to the number of members of the Opposition present during the debate.
Mr Wood: Have a look behind you!
MR HUMPHRIES: It is not our matter of public importance. It is yours. You are the ones who claim that it is vitally important.
Mr Wood: No, it is Mr Stevenson's.
MR HUMPHRIES: But you have supported it.
Mr Wood: Yes, I am happy to support it.
MR HUMPHRIES: Precisely. I want to quote from some comments on closing schools and I will not say initially where these come from, Mr Acting Speaker. I will let members of the Opposition guess. This is fun, is it not, a guessing game?
Mr Wood: It is all fun for you; that is the problem.
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