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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1995 Week 8 Hansard (25 October) . . Page.. 2006 ..

MR WOOD (continuing):

Mrs Carnell talked about opening schools without closing schools. They were very clearly identifying here today the Government's school closure policy. I think that is disgraceful.

Mr Kaine: Not true.

MR WOOD: Mr Kaine, you had better go back and read your speech. Your rhetoric has not changed over six years in this place. Mr Humphries then adopted the entirely discredited tactic of setting up a false argument, saying that there had been some sort of debate within the ALP about resourcing. I have never seen Mr Humphries at a meeting of the Labor Party, thankfully. That was an entirely false debate. I was the Minister; I was the spokesperson; I was the committee person. I wrote the policies, for heaven's sake.

Mr Osborne disappoints me. Mr Osborne would close any school in Canberra so long as it is not in Tuggeranong. He will close Charnwood High School. Mr Osborne, I hope that you stand by your schools in Tuggeranong when the time comes, as, under this Government, it surely will. In the election period Mr Osborne said, "Close Red Hill". He did not read carefully enough into the figures he got to see that there were schools - schools in Kambah and other parts of Tuggeranong - where he can do that same addition and subtraction as he did today and find a shortage of numbers of students. It is very unfortunate that he is showing exactly the same approach as Mr Moore - that is, "If it is near me, if it is important to me, keep it. If it is somewhere else, forget about it". Mr Moore knows about coming to me - this was one time he did come to me - about Reid Preschool and saying, "Regardless of the numbers at that school, regardless of anything there, keep Reid Preschool open". Ahead of any information that came to me - it was not on my agenda - he asked me to keep Reid Preschool open, no matter what. Does he have the same attitude to Charnwood High School? Not at all. It is unfortunate that we see in two members over there an entirely selfish approach - a self-serving, self-interested approach. It is nothing more than that, and that is very unfortunate.

I will give Mr Moore credit for one thing. It was Mr Moore who raised the important thing, the important matter above all else, and that is: What happens in the school? That is the issue that you people do not want to know about - the quality of programs in a school. That is what counts. There is no question that Charnwood High School is a great and thriving school, with wonderful activity, with great work being carried on. It does great promotional work within the suburbs. That is one of the other things that we spoke to the community about. The school is a great school. That is the criterion which the present Opposition has always said is the one that should count - is it a good school? Charnwood High School is. In accord with our record on schools, Charnwood High School should continue.

Motion (by Mr Humphries) agreed to, with the concurrence of an absolute majority:

That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent discussion on this matter being concluded.

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