Page 4527 - Week 15 - Thursday, 22 November 1990
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difficulties with some aspects of that, particularly the small schools policy. It gives me a stitch, and I am sure it gives some of those opposite a stitch as well and, as such, we need to consider very carefully what the implications are. Therefore, it is important that we take the time to assess what the impact of such decisions would be on the school community. Again, that cannot be accomplished overnight. Again, we cannot rush into decisions, as those opposite would choose to have us do. We are going to take our time in assessing the position that the education system will be placed in by such changes in policy, and then decide whether they should proceed. Of course, part of that process is to involve the school community through the task force - which will be a community based task force - and representatives of the union movement and community groups. I am confident that that process will result in an outcome which is acceptable to a broad part of the community.
This debate, of course, is a complex one and will not become any simpler as time goes by. I am encouraged, in some cases, by the late emerging realism of many sectors of the education community about the need to save money in the education budget.
MR CONNOLLY (4.39): Mr Humphries was very critical of the Opposition for pointing out the obvious, simple and logical shortcoming in his appropriation, which is that it was premised on a saving of $3m and we are now told that it will be a saving of $2.5m. Therefore, the sums do not add up and the amount proposed to be appropriated will not cover the demands on it. He has acknowledged that as such but then taunted us by saying, "Tell us what the figure should be". I will do that.
Your projected savings over a full year were $3m. At page 49 of the budget papers you say that that will result in a $1m saving this financial year. So, we are working on a factor of a third of your projected full year savings for this financial year's saving. Your projected saving of $3m, giving a $1m saving this financial year, has become $2.5m. Therefore, the projected saving that a $2.5m annual figure would give you this financial year is $830,000. Therefore, you are short $170,000. If you want to have a reasonably accurate appropriation, add $170,000 to your Appropriation Bill.
MR KAINE (Chief Minister and Treasurer) (4.40): I thought that Mr Stevenson was the one that had some odd ideas about recouping. Mr Connolly, who earned my respect recently in the debate with Mr Stevenson on things economic and accounting, has just blown himself right out the window, as far as I am concerned. To assert that there is a linear relationship between the factors that he just described in determining what the outcome of your budget should be, of course, exhibits a naivety that is unbelievable. If it was that simple - - -
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