Page 2501 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 7 August 1991
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because you do not have the evidence to say that. There are some letters you have, that I also have, that indicate support for the amalgamation; but you cannot claim that that represents the majority view in Weston Creek.
Mr Kaine: Did you have a majority view in Cook and Lyons? You asked the school community; that is who you asked.
MR WOOD: I think the situation was very clearly established there. The situation in Weston Creek is such that I have to go through a most careful process to see what the community wants. I need to go to them and give them a clear statement of the circumstances and listen to what they have to say. I have to attend most carefully to the wishes of those people who have children in the respective high schools. That process I will do, because it is important. I cannot predict at this stage what the outcome of that will be, because I am going to engage in close consultation with that community.
Mrs Nolan: How long will it take?
MR WOOD: At that stage, on my documentation of it, I will be in a position to say what the majority of parents want. You certainly cannot say that at this stage, because you have not the level of consultation with the community that enables you to say that.
I note the questions raised about when we will do this. It is certainly the case that schools need to know fairly well in advance what is happening. I understand that it had been programmed for quite a long time that the traditional meeting of year 6s to plan the courses they will study next year was to be held later this month. I understand the timeframe in this; but I can assure the Assembly, as I would assure the people of Weston Creek, that we will attend to their needs, we will listen to what they say, and we will be sure that the decision the Government makes is soundly based. It will not be simply a rush to prevent this emerging as an election issue; we will be honest about what we will do. The decision will be based on a careful exposition of the issues and close and detailed consultation with the community. We will do it very soundly so that the decisions that are ultimately made will be accepted in the community.
Finally, I share with Mrs Nolan the view that since there is to be a debate about these matters it should be done without bitterness. I believe that it is quite possible, as we discuss the future of our students, to do it objectively. We do not need to be impassioned about it. We should do it without acrimony, so that there is no unnecessary heat. With the conditions I have laid out, with the promise of close consultation as rapidly as possible, I believe that we can reach a decision that is in the best interests of that community and in accord with the wishes of that community.
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