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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 13 Hansard (3 December) . . Page.. 4313 ..

Ms McRae: And you are about to wreck it. That is what you are going to do. You are just going to wreck it.

MRS CARNELL: Ms McRae said that we are about to wreck it. Wrong, Ms McRae. That is what Mr Wood said. When he could not think of anything else to say and when he mentioned mothballing the whole thing, he realised that, quite seriously, the community did not want it mothballed. He then said, "Oh, but the markets will be closed". Wrong. The markets will be expanded, Mr Speaker. What the community is talking about, what Jones Lang Wootton are talking about, what the redevelopment authority is talking about and what the Government is talking about is adding; working on the strengths we currently have on that site to give us something to be proud of, to give us something for investors to develop and to invest in here. If those opposite had their way, quite seriously, we would mothball it.

MS McRAE: Mr Speaker, my question is to Mr Stefaniak in his capacity as Minister for Education. Minister, why have you permitted the closure of a full-time unit at Monash Preschool? Monash Preschool has always been allowed a level of flexibility in its management so that the needs of the children of defence personnel who are housed temporarily in Monash can be met. Why have you changed this policy?

MR STEFANIAK: I thank the member for the question. Mr Speaker, from the August census Monash Preschool was proposed as a 11/2 unit school - in other words, 75 places - rather than its previous 21/2 unit capacity. It also has 24 places for early intervention for three- to four-year-olds. The preschool has been operating with approximately 25 unfilled places for two years. That is equivalent to half a unit. Registrations and offers of place show that all home area and minded in-area children seeking a place for next year have been able to be accommodated, and there was, as I understand it, as at 20 November, one vacancy. There are also sufficient places in nearby preschools should further registrations occur at the start of next year.

MS McRAE: Minister, I would have appreciated an answer to the question why you changed the policy in regard to the defence personnel. You did not answer that. Minister, are you not concerned, by your very answer, that, in fact, some in-area children to Monash Preschool may next year have to travel to other preschools?

MR STEFANIAK: Ms McRae, in terms of preschools, this Government has certainly shown itself innovative, which is a little bit different from what you lot were in relation to Ngunnawal.

Ms McRae: You are closing them. Terrific! Just close them.

MR SPEAKER: Order! Let the Minister answer the question.

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