South Australia Shadow Minister for Industry and Trade Martin Hamilton-Smith

Rally Against Weatherill’s School Closures Continues

Victor P Taffa

The threat by Premier Jay Weatherill to close Belair Junior Primary and Mitcham Junior Primary in the seat of Waite must be removed.

“Today’s representations by a delegation at my office to protest the school closures have my full support.  The school communities have demonstrated that former Education Minister Jay Weatherill has failed to make the case that there any benefits whatsoever for families and students by his proposed school closures.” Local MP for Waite Martin Hamilton-Smith said.

“There must be a ‘no disadvantage test’. No family and no student at any school should be worse off as a result of this cost cutting misery.”

“I’ve attended meetings at both schools on the matter and understand that each school is facing a cut of up to $340,000 which will have a severe impact on the number of staff who can be employed and on a range of educational programs.” Mr. Hamilton-Smith said.

“These are school closures in my electorate, plain and simple. It’s a Labor cut to find $8.2 Million from the Education Budget to pay for their own financial mismanagement, while we have millions wasted on frolics in Puglia, infrastructure projects that have gone over budget, and 15 ministers served by an army of media minders and staff.”

“Jay Weatherill says he wants to champion education and Labor says they are an education government. The facts tell a different story.” Mr. Hamilton-Smith said.

“Parents, with whom I have spoken about this, fail to see a single benefit or advantage in the school closures.  I will be tabling petitions in Parliament next week opposing to closures”.

“The process appears to be designed to get the outcome that Jay Weatherill wants, which is for a large number of schools to be axed and swallowed up.”

“I call on Jay Weatherill to announce that he will not close any school if it can be shown that the school or any family will be worse off. There must be a “no disadvantage test’.”

“Is the Premier planning to announce the school closures over the Christmas New Year break and then defend it in January when school communities come back from holidays?  This would poor form.” Mr. Hamilton-Smith said.