Page 4519 - Week 15 - Thursday, 22 November 1990
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on the reshaping criteria were never even presented in any summarised form; nor were they presented, in whole, to members of the Government, who made their decision without even reading them. It is a matter that, I believe, further adds to that question of credibility. It is the case that the credibility of the education department has come into severe question, in spite of what the Minister is likely to say in its defence.
Of course, part of that problem of credibility comes from the fact that we have moved, in a very short time, from a highly successful, innovative, parental education system to one that is now a bureaucratic education system. That has all happened under the guidance of Mr Eric Willmot. The question of dollars that was raised by Mr Wood is also of great interest here. We now have a budget figure of $180m that is being proposed as part of the appropriation. That figure has not been changed, of course, since the announcement that three of the schools we were going to close are now not going to close. The arguments that have been presented to us about where the savings are now make for a very different set of savings and will require, of course, in the long term, a different appropriation.
Of course I accept that this is an estimate, and, as has been mentioned already, the Treasurer's Advance is available. I will get to the matter of the Treasurer's Advance later. I foreshadow having some comments to make on that. The restraint that has been shown is not a restraint about a budget. It is, in fact, an attack on education in this Territory. It can be presented in no other way.
Mr Humphries' portfolio is the only one that is accepting real cuts. Of course, most of us are left in a quandary as to whether to think, "Well, that is a good thing" or "That is a bad thing". If those cuts were made right across the budget, and other areas were receiving the real cuts as well, we might be much more inclined to accept that we are in hard times and that is what is happening. Focusing your attention on a couple of small areas or, in fact, a couple of large areas - because I accept that the education budget is one of the largest amounts that we deal with - is, of course, likely to bring about a further reaction.
People can see you for what you are doing. What you are doing is attacking education, which is one of the most valued commodities in this community. You will receive the results of taking this approach, and you will be seen for what you are doing.
MR KAINE (Chief Minister and Treasurer) (4.17): Mr Speaker, I continue to be confounded by the assertion of Mr Moore and others that "education is suffering the brunt". Mr Moore is very careful to quote figures that he has either deduced or calculated on the basis of what is actually in the budget documents.
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