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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 8 Hansard (28 October) . . Page.. 2321 ..

MR BERRY (continuing):

Auditor-General's report, because nowhere in this report was Downer's future drawn into question. According to the table on page 67 of the report showing the salary expense per child, Downer does pretty well when compared to preschools with an annual salary expense of $2,000 or greater. It strikes me that Downer Preschool community at no time could have considered that it was at risk.

In any event, debate ensued around this report, and the Government backed away quite a long way from its original apparent endorsement of the Auditor-General's questioning of the future of those preschools which I read out. The matter then became the subject of an inquiry by the Education Committee, which Ms Tucker chairs. That inquiry was a wide-ranging inquiry which looked at all of the issues in relation to preschools. Rather than go through the entire inquiry, one needs only to look at recommendation 1:

The committee recommends that, for 1999, the Department of Education and Community Services, in consultation with the community, apply its usual process of adjustment of the preschool system and that it does not introduce any major changes until a long-term plan has been developed.

It is pretty clear for the community of Downer that a major change has been taken and that there is no long-term plan which might mention Downer Preschool. Neither were they consulted. I think it is also fair to say that members who served on this committee have a right to believe that their committee is being treated with contempt, because this recommendation very clearly requires the Government to enter into a phase of consultation before taking any major decisions in respect of preschools. This Minister announced without notice that Downer Preschool was about to be suspended. Whatever you say about the language, if you say "suspended", in preschool circles that is truly the kiss of death. It means the end of the preschool. I do not know of any that have reopened after they have been suspended. I may be corrected on that, but I think the usual score is that parents find other places for their children to go in the period of suspension and, very rarely, if ever, is new life breathed back into the preschool.

The decision to close - let us be fair dinkum about the language around this issue - Downer Preschool was taken against a background of a suggested student enrolment of 14. If the Government had taken the time to talk with the parents association for Downer Preschool, they would have soon discovered that at that very moment it was 16 or 18. In any event I have a list in front of me now which shows that they have 22 enrolments, or will have 22 enrolments. It is very clear that the Downer Preschool could be viable on those numbers.

The Government, it is said, has used several excuses. They say that we have got a 2 December cut-off point. Does that mean, Minister, that you have such a closed mind that you will not move beyond that point ever? Not in respect of any preschool? Not for any member of the community? Not for any politician? For no-one? If that is the attitude that you have in respect of preschools, I have to say that it is a sign of arrogance and contempt for the sorts of consultation processes that you should be providing for the community. After all, we are talking about a community of parents who are concerned about the future of their children, a community of parents who, amongst other things,

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