Mr FINCH - 1994-12-01
Mr FINCH (Education and Training): Mr Speaker, the member for Nhulunbuy asked me a pretty limp question. Obviously, he ran out of legs. In fact, he indicated that he had not researched in the least the question he asked me about access for the disabled at Nhulunbuy Primary School. He should have informed me that the original estimate and bid was for $80 000. When tenders were called, the lowest tender was for $150 000, an escalation that could not and should not be paid automatically. Currently, the department has asked the council to negotiate with the lowest tenderer to see whether some savings can be found on that amount.
It is a little like the member not informing himself about Katherine preschool places, of which he made play during the weekend on ABC Radio. Who else would one expect to run a story like that without checking it? In that case, the fact is not that Katherine is short of preschool places. Quite the opposite is true. The total capacity of preschool places in Katherine is 340. Over the last 3 years, the peak of preschool enrolments in any month was 235, leaving over 100 places spare at any one time. I suggest that the member for Nhulunbuy do a little more homework along the way. ABC Radio could well do the same.
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It is a little like the member not informing himself about Katherine preschool places, of which he made play during the weekend on ABC Radio. Who else would one expect to run a story like that without checking it? In that case, the fact is not that Katherine is short of preschool places. Quite the opposite is true. The total capacity of preschool places in Katherine is 340. Over the last 3 years, the peak of preschool enrolments in any month was 235, leaving over 100 places spare at any one time. I suggest that the member for Nhulunbuy do a little more homework along the way. ABC Radio could well do the same.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016