Page 386 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 13 May 1992
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If we do not explore solutions of that kind there are not going to be substantial sums of money, realistic sums of money, available for dealing with our high school problem. I have no doubt that when the Minister introduces his high school plan there will be some money there somewhere; but it is going to be a small sum of money, I predict, if there is anything at all, and it is going to be, I also suspect, less than we need to deal with the problem. So, the question remains the question we have stated on this side of the house again and again. How do we fund education properly if we do not face up to the basic structural inefficiencies of our system and deal with them first?
MS SZUTY (11.40), in reply: I would like to thank both the Liberals and the Labor Party for the support of this very important motion. In response to both Mr Cornwell and Minister Wood, I point out that advice from the high school sector itself indicates that what is needed to improve high schools is more resourcing - they have said that loud and clear for some time - to improve the staffing formula in high schools, to enable individual student issues to be better addressed and to go towards the refurbishment of high schools to create the environment in which young people are happy to attend and learn. I welcome the words of support from Minister Bill Wood to implement a high school development program. I further welcome the news that the program is close to completion and that the Minister will shortly introduce into the Assembly the final version of the high schools development plan.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
MOTOR TRAFFIC (AMENDMENT) BILL 1992
MR WESTENDE (11.42): I present the Motor Traffic (Amendment) Bill 1992.
Title read by Clerk.
MR WESTENDE: I move:
That this Bill be agreed to in principle.
Madam Speaker, it is time that there was some more order on our freeways in the ACT. We have excellent freeways and an excellent motorway system, but these are not functioning as well as they might. One of the main problems that exist at present is that many motorists are not conforming to the standard practice of driving in the left lane unless overtaking. This is an unsafe practice and it dramatically affects the flow of traffic.
The unsafe practice that is occurring on our freeways results from a great many drivers using the middle lane, or indeed the right lane, causing other vehicles to overtake them on the left-hand side - in other words, the blind side of a right-hand drive vehicle. This procedure is invariably done at the maximum speed on the freeway and is clearly dangerous. If your experience is the same as mine, Madam Speaker, whenever I overtake someone on the left out of necessity I always have some doubt as to whether the driver in front can see me and whether that driver is going to veer in front of me.
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