Page 2720 - Week 09 - Thursday, 9 August 1990
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Mr Berry: There has never been government in this Territory. Don't you remember, you dill?
Mr Kaine: There is an acknowledgement - there was no government here before!
MR HUMPHRIES: Apparently the Territory has not been governed for the last eight years! That is an extraordinary proposition. The Territory has not been governed, says Mr Berry. We all know otherwise. We are not all as stupid as Mr Berry. We know perfectly well that the Territory has been governed for most of the last eight years by the Australian Labor Party, under a gentleman called Mr Hawke. I can see that Mr Berry is embarrassed. He has been caught out saying something that was obviously and patently stupid. We all understand why he is blushing a bit at the moment. In the last eight years the Territory has experienced a trend towards non-government education. So for Mr Moore to assert that private schools were better or worse than public schools is simply not a tenable argument to run.
My department, I believe, has handled the issues connected with this matter in an exemplary fashion, and I stand by its work. I think it is extremely unfortunate that Mr Moore cares to bring into this debate the personalities of particular public servants. I would even be prepared to accept that attacks could be made on the general nature of the public service, or even of a particular department, but to attack particular people by name is low and shameful.
Mr Acting Speaker, we have a challenge facing us in the area of preschool education. Mr Moore's matter of public importance refers to problems in the service delivery of that education. Over a number of years, during which, according to Mr Berry, there has been no government in the Territory but during which I say that there was a Labor government in the Territory, there have been falling participation rates in preschool education. That indicates very clearly that there are problems with the current delivery of services, and that indicates that we ought to be taking action to rectify that problem. May I have some silence please, Mr Acting Speaker?
MR ACTING SPEAKER: Order, members! Let Mr Humphries have a go.
MR HUMPHRIES: The Government is determined to address this in the context of the current community needs. That is why we are talking about changes in the area of preschool education. As I indicated before, we have had useful discussions with representatives of the Canberra Pre-School Society, and I understand their position in terms of preserving the quality of Canberra preschools. It is an ambition that we share. I am very pleased to say that, in the context of that mutual understanding, we have reached agreement regarding the number of preschools to be closed in 1991. Those closures will significantly reduce costs
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