Page 3412 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 13 October 1993
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to State level expenditure. We all know that story. The Liberals opposite would know that I think that John Hewson and company would take an even more severe approach, so I do not think that they should throw off too much about that.
Ms Szuty said that we have a recurrent surplus that we should use to save positions in the Education Department. That is a cop-out. It is simply saying, "Let us spend some more". That is the Kate Carnell approach - "Let us spend more money". It is no more than that. That is a level of irresponsibility that Ms Szuty does not often display in this Assembly.
So what is left to us? There is the option of school closures. I guess Mr Humphries will have something to say about this in a minute.
Mr Cornwell: You certainly did.
MR WOOD: I certainly did. I have said many times, and I say it again, that it is inevitable that in the future schools will close in the ACT.
Mr Humphries: When? How many?
MR WOOD: Have a look at what dates are in the budget, Mr Humphries. There are none. We will examine the position ahead of the next election, and again we will be honest, as we were last time. We will give commitments. Mr Humphries can get up and say that we are going to close schools, but we will be up front about what happens. I was looking at figures on schools only recently. There are no schools at all in the ACT at the moment that show signs of problems because of declining enrolments - not a one. I do not anticipate any change in the foreseeable future.
But Ms Szuty had better think about this. What else are we going to do? The Liberals' approach was to close schools. The range of options is diminishing. Closing schools and reducing teacher positions are two options. They are not the only options, Mr Moore should note. The Auditor-General's report says that $500,000 a year may be saved by, in part, staffing reductions when we close a high school, and close to a quarter of a million dollars may be saved if we close a primary school.
Mr Humphries: Non-teaching staff.
MR WOOD: So you close the school and you do not lose your principal straightaway, Mr Humphries?
Mr Humphries: Not a teaching principal, no; you do not.
MR WOOD: The principal just disappears. That is one of the reasons you close them.
Mr Humphries: It is not a teaching position. Most principals in our system are not in teaching positions.
MR WOOD: That is right.
Mr Humphries: So you can abolish them without losing teachers, can you not?
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