Bill Stefaniak is a pretty cagey politician, it’s just a shame about his policy.
He and Vicki Dunne have put out similar, but subtly different media releases (Vicki Dunne, Bill Stefaniak) announcing their new policy for school closures.
“IIn Government the Liberal Party will commit to: the cancellation of school closures scheduled for December 2008; A School Reinstatement Fund to help communities re-open schools closed by the Stanhope Government in 2006 and 2007; No school closures initiated in the first term of a Liberal Government (2008-2012); and Community Committee on the Future Direction of ACT Schools”
(I think, but am not sure, that IIn is the way IIncompetents spell “In”)
So now we have a choice:
1) The ALP’s 2020 plan which shows all the signs of being scratched out on the back of a beer coaster but will (in however half-arsed a fashion) bring the number of schools down to a much cheaper level.
2) The Liberal plan to do nothing until 2012 by which time we’ll all have forgotten what the question is.
As good politics the Liberals have the virtue of letting Stanhope and Barr wear the heat and then reap the rewards of the school closures while in Government, with the added bonus of their escape clause that they will re-open schools “wherever possible”. Don’t bet that it will be “possible” to reverse too many closures. Just one or two high profile ones you would imagine.
Save Our Schools and the P&C have bought it hook line and sinker.
Andrew Barr has put out a media release but the Chief Minister’s server has gone walkabout at the time of writing.