Page 3952 - Week 13 - Tuesday, 23 November 1993
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High schools also, Madam Speaker, will ensure that class numbers are closer to sizes acceptable to the Australian Education Union. They have the option of reducing elective classes to allow quality education in core areas. I believe that it is those core areas in high schools in particular that need our attention and need our support. Primary schools will maintain quality because of the protection that is offered to the early years of schooling as part of the budget strategy, and preschools will not experience any change as a result of the budget. What is unreasonable about that? Mr Moore has not said.
Madam Speaker, as we announced in the budget, a longer-term education plan is to be developed during the year and, as with a great many of the Government's initiatives in this area, we will be doing that in consultation. That longer-term plan will provide a planning base for the period from 1994 through to 1998, so it is very important that it be undertaken comprehensively and in full consultation. The plan is aimed also at providing ongoing efficiencies within the program while still maintaining the quality of teaching services. It will also take into account the Auditor-General's performance audit of the government schooling program.
I believe that Mr Moore really needed to address the terms of his motion in relation to teachers, which he has not done, and I think that was another disappointing aspect of his attack on Mr Wood. It is a fact that as a result of this budget teachers will not be sacked. There will be no job losses unless teachers wish to leave the service. He has not said that. If they do wish to leave the service they have access to what are generous redundancy packages, any way you look at it. Madam Speaker, I believe that if these changes are calmly and competently managed by the principals and their communities, and everybody involved seriously in this debate, the reductions in this budget will have very little impact on our education system, and none on the quality of education that is being offered.
I believe, Madam Speaker, that passing this motion would reflect poorly on the Assembly because it would say that the hard financial decisions which have been forced upon us must be ignored. It would say that this Assembly does not care if the Territory goes down a path of high borrowings; that this Assembly does not care if we are forced, like Victoria - and as the Liberals clearly want to do - to start closing schools. Madam Speaker, I think it would reflect even more poorly on the Assembly because it would say that this Assembly is not prepared to allow the Government to take a responsible approach to budgeting; that this Assembly, unless they agree with every last detail of the Government's budget, is going to pass silly motions like this no-confidence motion simply to score a political point.
I think that most members in this Assembly have been around for long enough to know that we have suffered enough criticism, abuse even, especially during the First Assembly, for many of the events that took place then. We have come through, I believe, a period when we have grown in stature as a parliament, and that has been because of the responsible approach that has been taken by all parties in this Assembly. It is not good enough to move this kind of over-the-top motion just because you disagree with the Minister. In closing, Madam Speaker, I would like to point out that there is no point in moving this motion addressed to Mr Wood. Mr Wood alone did not take this decision. Our Government operates collectively. We take decisions jointly and we stick to them jointly. Mr Wood has the total support of this Government. In seeking to implement Government decisions he is doing no more than his job and he deserves to be allowed to get on with it.
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