Page 3407 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 13 October 1993
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MR CORNWELL: They are his exact words, Mr De Domenico. He went on to say:
We support the provision of education services widely, but we also understand realities.
This is an option that this Government could have considered, rather than cutting 80 teachers. Because of the commitment of the Chief Minister that no school would close in the first three years of this Labor Government, this stubborn Chief Minister refuses to allow her Minister for Education to take that action, and instead has preferred to sacrifice 80 teachers from the teaching service, with the usual results - the inevitable results, I would suggest - in the standards of education. The option was there.
Furthermore, the Government has not ruled out more cuts in teachers in future years. I again refer to the Estimates Committee transcript. At page 196 I asked whether there would be reductions in teachers. I said:
So we can assume that there may be further cuts in future years.
Mr Wood replied:
If you have read the documents that is the case.
Again we have this stubborn adherence to cuts in fundamental aspects of education - namely, the teachers that our education services require. They are the ones to be sacrificed because the Chief Minister refuses to look at alternatives. I believe that that is an appalling indictment. That is why we are prepared to support Ms Szuty's motion. We expect Mr Moore and Ms Szuty to support our amendment to the Appropriation Bill in November when that matter is debated. The ball, Mr Moore and Ms Szuty, is therefore back in your court.
MADAM SPEAKER: The question is: That the motion be agreed to.
Mr Wood: I am waiting for Mr Moore and he is waiting for me.
Mr Moore: I will speak after Mr Wood.
Mr Wood: Put the question now. I will not jump ahead of you.
MR MOORE (11.54): Madam Speaker, Mr Wood is clearly waiting for me to speak first, so that he can rebut some of what I have to say, no doubt. But Ms Szuty has the right of reply and can resolve any of the issues that Mr Wood raises. The question that Ms Szuty and I have been dealing with in putting up this motion is a question of priorities. Labor went to an election arguing that their highest priority was education. It has been clearly demonstrated that they are breaking their election commitment in this area and directly in another area that I will get onto in a short while.
First, Madam Speaker, allow me to deal with the Liberal doublespeak. Some weeks ago, when we indicated that we would be putting a motion to this effect, the Liberals said that it was a wimp of a motion and that they would not support it. We are delighted that they have seen the light and changed their minds. At the end of his speech, Mr Cornwell invited us to support his amendment to the Appropriation Bill.
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