Page 3124 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 12 September 1990
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MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: Which particular members, Mr Humphries?
Mr Humphries: Mr Berry in particular, Mr Deputy Speaker. I ask him to withdraw.
Mr Berry: I did not.
Mr Humphries: You did. You said it was a lie.
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: I did not hear him. I heard the word "lie" come from, I thought, a couple of members.
Mr Humphries: I think Mr Berry will be honest enough not to deny it was he who said it.
Mr Berry: To clarify the matter and to assist the Deputy Speaker: it is a lie that the Labor Party policy is to close schools; but, Mr Deputy Speaker, I withdraw anything that might offend the Chair.
Mr Humphries: Point of order!
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: Just a second, Mr Humphries. He is withdrawing it.
Mr Humphries: Mr Deputy Speaker, that is a qualified withdrawal. I ask for an unqualified withdrawal.
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: What offends the Chair is the word "lie". You withdraw that then, Mr Berry; I accept that. Mr Collaery, you were about to read out a policy.
MR COLLAERY: Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. The members opposite deny this, and I am delighted to put in on the record. I will table it this afternoon when I have a photocopy. I will read from the ALP election policy, and I will read from the section with the heading, "School Closure". It says, "In general, no school will be closed or amalgamated unless the school community agrees". Then that statement is qualified by this very ambiguous statement: "If circumstances arise" - those are ominous words - "where the educational viability of a school due to significantly declining numbers needs to be examined ...". So the Labor Party - - -
Mr Berry: On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker - - -
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: What is your point of order, Mr Berry?
Mr Berry: The point of order relates to relevance. If the Minister opposite wishes to discuss the issue of the inquiry, then I think that he should contain his debate to the issue of the inquiry and not to party policy.
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: I hold against you on that, Mr Berry. I believe that what Mr Collaery is reading out is relevant, perhaps if he can continue and complete what he is reading.
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