❓ Mrs. Stojkovski asks about the WA student assistance payment's uptake and if anyone is delaying its transfer. The Premier responds positively, highlighting the program's success and criticising the opposition's negativity.
AnsweredQoN 210Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
STUDENT ASSISTANCE PAYMENT
210. Mrs J.M.C. STOJKOVSKI to the Premier:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's
latest cost-of-living measure, the WA student assistance payment, and thank him
for coming with me to Goollelal Primary School yesterday with the Treasurer and
the Minister for Education to promote the assistance payment. It was a great
school and a great day!
(1) Can the Premier update the house on how families
with school-age children have responded to this cost- of-living measure
since claims opened yesterday morning?
(2) Is the
Premier aware of anyone attempting to delay the transfer of thousands of
cost-of-living payments to families most in need?
210. Mrs J.M.C. STOJKOVSKI to the Premier:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's
latest cost-of-living measure, the WA student assistance payment, and thank him
for coming with me to Goollelal Primary School yesterday with the Treasurer and
the Minister for Education to promote the assistance payment. It was a great
school and a great day!
(1) Can the Premier update the house on how families
with school-age children have responded to this cost- of-living measure
since claims opened yesterday morning?
(2) Is the
Premier aware of anyone attempting to delay the transfer of thousands of
cost-of-living payments to families most in need?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
think the member Roe has already outed himself in relation to the second part
of that question. I thank the member for Kingsley for the question. It was
great to be with her at the Goollelal Primary School yesterday along with the
Treasurer, Rita Saffioti, and the Minister for Education, Tony Buti. The member is a huge advocate for the cost-of-living
relief. She knows how tough families right across Western Australia are
doing it at the moment, and that is why she is such a strong advocate for our
cost-of-living measures. Yesterday was the first day back to school for a lot
of kids. A lot of excited kids were there and some even lied and said that they
were pleased to be back at school, but there were some even more excited parents there who were taking their kids back to
school. Yesterday was not only the first day of term 2, but also the
first day every Western Australian family could access our most recent
cost-of-living measure—the WA student assistance payment. Every Western
Australian family with kids currently enrolled in kindy to year 12 can receive
financial support. The payment represents $250 for every high school student
and $150 for every primary school or kindergarten student. As every parent
knows, these extra costs in school years can really add up. This payment will
put money back into the pockets of Western Australian families. Around $100 million
has been set aside for that. Those are dollars that we can put back into the
pockets of Western Australian families, and that will be widely welcomed. It is
for things such as school uniforms, new
school shoes, books and other school supplies. It is for those who need help
buying supplies and food for lunch boxes and so on.
Since
the announcement, we have seen parents respond quickly. In the space of just
over 24 hours, more than 60 000 families have claimed the WA student
assistance payment. That represents around 100 000 students. To put that into
perspective, that is enough students to fill 100 locally made Metronet
railcars! As you know, Madam Speaker, schoolkids can ride to school for free on
those trains every day, thanks to the ride to school free program. The majority
of parents who have claimed the WA student assistance payment have done so via
the ServiceWA app. The Minister for Education tells me that so far, 4 390 of the people who applied through the
ServiceWA app rated the application process as being a positive experience. Only 13 people rated it as a negative
experience, half of whom were probably opposition members! As I said, 90
per cent of applications went through the ServiceWA app and almost 5 000
applicants have provided feedback on the application process. It has been
widely embraced by the Western Australian community. The ServiceWA app will
provide us with further opportunities to continue to connect with the Western Australian
community and provide the community with great services through more digitally
enabled programs.
There is only one group of people in Western
Australia who think this is a bad idea, and they are the members opposite. They have outed themselves on
this by opposing it and by being negative, as usual. That is all we see
from the other side—negative responses and negative messages to the Western
Australian community, because members opposite do not have a single idea. But
most of all, we know that they do not
support important cost-of-living measures for Western Australians to help them
with the cost-of-living challenges that every Western Australian family
is facing.
think the member Roe has already outed himself in relation to the second part
of that question. I thank the member for Kingsley for the question. It was
great to be with her at the Goollelal Primary School yesterday along with the
Treasurer, Rita Saffioti, and the Minister for Education, Tony Buti. The member is a huge advocate for the cost-of-living
relief. She knows how tough families right across Western Australia are
doing it at the moment, and that is why she is such a strong advocate for our
cost-of-living measures. Yesterday was the first day back to school for a lot
of kids. A lot of excited kids were there and some even lied and said that they
were pleased to be back at school, but there were some even more excited parents there who were taking their kids back to
school. Yesterday was not only the first day of term 2, but also the
first day every Western Australian family could access our most recent
cost-of-living measure—the WA student assistance payment. Every Western
Australian family with kids currently enrolled in kindy to year 12 can receive
financial support. The payment represents $250 for every high school student
and $150 for every primary school or kindergarten student. As every parent
knows, these extra costs in school years can really add up. This payment will
put money back into the pockets of Western Australian families. Around $100 million
has been set aside for that. Those are dollars that we can put back into the
pockets of Western Australian families, and that will be widely welcomed. It is
for things such as school uniforms, new
school shoes, books and other school supplies. It is for those who need help
buying supplies and food for lunch boxes and so on.
Since
the announcement, we have seen parents respond quickly. In the space of just
over 24 hours, more than 60 000 families have claimed the WA student
assistance payment. That represents around 100 000 students. To put that into
perspective, that is enough students to fill 100 locally made Metronet
railcars! As you know, Madam Speaker, schoolkids can ride to school for free on
those trains every day, thanks to the ride to school free program. The majority
of parents who have claimed the WA student assistance payment have done so via
the ServiceWA app. The Minister for Education tells me that so far, 4 390 of the people who applied through the
ServiceWA app rated the application process as being a positive experience. Only 13 people rated it as a negative
experience, half of whom were probably opposition members! As I said, 90
per cent of applications went through the ServiceWA app and almost 5 000
applicants have provided feedback on the application process. It has been
widely embraced by the Western Australian community. The ServiceWA app will
provide us with further opportunities to continue to connect with the Western Australian
community and provide the community with great services through more digitally
enabled programs.
There is only one group of people in Western
Australia who think this is a bad idea, and they are the members opposite. They have outed themselves on
this by opposing it and by being negative, as usual. That is all we see
from the other side—negative responses and negative messages to the Western
Australian community, because members opposite do not have a single idea. But
most of all, we know that they do not
support important cost-of-living measures for Western Australians to help them
with the cost-of-living challenges that every Western Australian family
is facing.
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