❓ The Minister for Education answers a question regarding the rollout of laptop computers for teachers in WA government schools, highlighting the current government's commitment and contrasting it with the previous government's unfulfilled promises.
AnsweredQoN 675Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
LAPTOP COMPUTERS FOR TEACHERS
Can the minister advise the House when teachers will be receiving their laptop computers? Mr CARPENTER
Can the minister advise the House when teachers will be receiving their laptop computers? Mr CARPENTER
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question, and for some small amount of advance notice of it. Earlier today I had the pleasure of launching the notebook computers for teachers program at Balga Senior High School, which of course is in the member for Girrawheen’s electorate. Unfortunately, due to her parliamentary duties as the chair of a committee, she was unable to attend. It was a wonderful event. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr CARPENTER: I am quite happy to expand on that. There was unanimous acclaim for the effort the member for Girrawheen had put into ensuring that Balga Senior High School benefited from not only the laptop program but also so many other wonderful Labor Government initiatives that have gone into government schools in her electorate. I pass on people’s gratitude to her for that. We have launched the notebook computers for teachers program. The initial group will comprise 19 schools in which teachers will have access to the program. The rest of the government schools in Western Australia will be brought into the program next year as the telecommunications bandwidth expansion rolls out next year. The two events will occur in conjunction, as opposed to the box drop, which was the favourite approach of the previous Government to information technology. It is anticipated, as outlined so succinctly by the Auditor General, that at least 14 000 of the state’s school teachers will access the laptop computers. Mr Barnett: Is this the first time teachers have been given laptops? Mr CARPENTER: It is the first time they have been given access to laptop computers in this volume. The previous Government provided about 20 to Esperance. I am talking about 14 000 or 15 000 computers. Mr Barnett: It was 1 000 or so. The initiative was started by the coalition. Mr CARPENTER: I did not intend to provoke an interjection from the Leader of the Opposition, but now that he has made one, let me outline a couple of interesting little pieces of information. The previous Government entered enterprise bargaining agreement negotiations with the State School Teachers Union on the premise that laptops would be provided to teachers. As I recall it, the initiative was generated on our side of politics. In the last enterprise bargaining agreement, teachers were offered access to laptops at “affordable prices”. One detail missing was any allocation of funds by the previous Government. What is an “affordable price” when no money has been allocated to what would, in a full four-year cycle, be a $32 million program? The intention was that teachers would pay the full price for their computers, and whatever the price, it would be deemed affordable. It would have cost each teacher $14 to $15 a week. Mr Barnett interjected. Mr CARPENTER: There was no money. Mr Barnett: The minister should not come into the place and tell these untruths. Mr CARPENTER: I do not make a habit of it. Everybody in the Chamber knows that no funds were set aside by the previous Government for the provision of laptops. The present Government has provided teachers with access to laptops at $5 a week, or thereabouts, after tax. This is very affordable. The first 1 000 of them will be made available this calendar year. It was always impossible to do what the previous Government promised; that is, provide that access for all teachers in Western Australia in this calendar year. That was never going to be done. Mr McGinty: Particularly if there is no money. Mr CARPENTER: Without the money, the teachers would have had to pay for the whole lot. By the end of next year, all teachers in Western Australian government schools will be provided with access to laptops at that affordable price of around $5 a week after tax. The anticipation is that 14 000 to 15 000 teachers will take up that option. It is a very significant step, probably one of the most significant steps in developing resources for schoolteachers and modern pedagogy, that any Western Australian Government has provided. With the computers goes training and backup support, which the previous Government never intended to put in place. It is a marvellous initiative, and I was very pleased to bring it about and launch it in the electorate of the member for Girrawheen.
Mr CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for the question, and for some small amount of advance notice of it. Earlier today I had the pleasure of launching the notebook computers for teachers program at Balga Senior High School, which of course is in the member for Girrawheen’s electorate. Unfortunately, due to her parliamentary duties as the chair of a committee, she was unable to attend. It was a wonderful event. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr CARPENTER: I am quite happy to expand on that. There was unanimous acclaim for the effort the member for Girrawheen had put into ensuring that Balga Senior High School benefited from not only the laptop program but also so many other wonderful Labor Government initiatives that have gone into government schools in her electorate. I pass on people’s gratitude to her for that. We have launched the notebook computers for teachers program. The initial group will comprise 19 schools in which teachers will have access to the program. The rest of the government schools in Western Australia will be brought into the program next year as the telecommunications bandwidth expansion rolls out next year. The two events will occur in conjunction, as opposed to the box drop, which was the favourite approach of the previous Government to information technology. It is anticipated, as outlined so succinctly by the Auditor General, that at least 14 000 of the state’s school teachers will access the laptop computers. Mr Barnett: Is this the first time teachers have been given laptops? Mr CARPENTER: It is the first time they have been given access to laptop computers in this volume. The previous Government provided about 20 to Esperance. I am talking about 14 000 or 15 000 computers. Mr Barnett: It was 1 000 or so. The initiative was started by the coalition. Mr CARPENTER: I did not intend to provoke an interjection from the Leader of the Opposition, but now that he has made one, let me outline a couple of interesting little pieces of information. The previous Government entered enterprise bargaining agreement negotiations with the State School Teachers Union on the premise that laptops would be provided to teachers. As I recall it, the initiative was generated on our side of politics. In the last enterprise bargaining agreement, teachers were offered access to laptops at “affordable prices”. One detail missing was any allocation of funds by the previous Government. What is an “affordable price” when no money has been allocated to what would, in a full four-year cycle, be a $32 million program? The intention was that teachers would pay the full price for their computers, and whatever the price, it would be deemed affordable. It would have cost each teacher $14 to $15 a week. Mr Barnett interjected. Mr CARPENTER: There was no money. Mr Barnett: The minister should not come into the place and tell these untruths. Mr CARPENTER: I do not make a habit of it. Everybody in the Chamber knows that no funds were set aside by the previous Government for the provision of laptops. The present Government has provided teachers with access to laptops at $5 a week, or thereabouts, after tax. This is very affordable. The first 1 000 of them will be made available this calendar year. It was always impossible to do what the previous Government promised; that is, provide that access for all teachers in Western Australia in this calendar year. That was never going to be done. Mr McGinty: Particularly if there is no money. Mr CARPENTER: Without the money, the teachers would have had to pay for the whole lot. By the end of next year, all teachers in Western Australian government schools will be provided with access to laptops at that affordable price of around $5 a week after tax. The anticipation is that 14 000 to 15 000 teachers will take up that option. It is a very significant step, probably one of the most significant steps in developing resources for schoolteachers and modern pedagogy, that any Western Australian Government has provided. With the computers goes training and backup support, which the previous Government never intended to put in place. It is a marvellous initiative, and I was very pleased to bring it about and launch it in the electorate of the member for Girrawheen.
I thank the member for the question, and for some small amount of advance notice of it. Earlier today I had the pleasure of launching the notebook computers for teachers program at Balga Senior High School, which of course is in the member for Girrawheen’s electorate. Unfortunately, due to her parliamentary duties as the chair of a committee, she was unable to attend. It was a wonderful event. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr CARPENTER: I am quite happy to expand on that. There was unanimous acclaim for the effort the member for Girrawheen had put into ensuring that Balga Senior High School benefited from not only the laptop program but also so many other wonderful Labor Government initiatives that have gone into government schools in her electorate. I pass on people’s gratitude to her for that. We have launched the notebook computers for teachers program. The initial group will comprise 19 schools in which teachers will have access to the program. The rest of the government schools in Western Australia will be brought into the program next year as the telecommunications bandwidth expansion rolls out next year. The two events will occur in conjunction, as opposed to the box drop, which was the favourite approach of the previous Government to information technology. It is anticipated, as outlined so succinctly by the Auditor General, that at least 14 000 of the state’s school teachers will access the laptop computers. Mr Barnett: Is this the first time teachers have been given laptops? Mr CARPENTER: It is the first time they have been given access to laptop computers in this volume. The previous Government provided about 20 to Esperance. I am talking about 14 000 or 15 000 computers. Mr Barnett: It was 1 000 or so. The initiative was started by the coalition. Mr CARPENTER: I did not intend to provoke an interjection from the Leader of the Opposition, but now that he has made one, let me outline a couple of interesting little pieces of information. The previous Government entered enterprise bargaining agreement negotiations with the State School Teachers Union on the premise that laptops would be provided to teachers. As I recall it, the initiative was generated on our side of politics. In the last enterprise bargaining agreement, teachers were offered access to laptops at “affordable prices”. One detail missing was any allocation of funds by the previous Government. What is an “affordable price” when no money has been allocated to what would, in a full four-year cycle, be a $32 million program? The intention was that teachers would pay the full price for their computers, and whatever the price, it would be deemed affordable. It would have cost each teacher $14 to $15 a week. Mr Barnett interjected. Mr CARPENTER: There was no money. Mr Barnett: The minister should not come into the place and tell these untruths. Mr CARPENTER: I do not make a habit of it. Everybody in the Chamber knows that no funds were set aside by the previous Government for the provision of laptops. The present Government has provided teachers with access to laptops at $5 a week, or thereabouts, after tax. This is very affordable. The first 1 000 of them will be made available this calendar year. It was always impossible to do what the previous Government promised; that is, provide that access for all teachers in Western Australia in this calendar year. That was never going to be done. Mr McGinty: Particularly if there is no money. Mr CARPENTER: Without the money, the teachers would have had to pay for the whole lot. By the end of next year, all teachers in Western Australian government schools will be provided with access to laptops at that affordable price of around $5 a week after tax. The anticipation is that 14 000 to 15 000 teachers will take up that option. It is a very significant step, probably one of the most significant steps in developing resources for schoolteachers and modern pedagogy, that any Western Australian Government has provided. With the computers goes training and backup support, which the previous Government never intended to put in place. It is a marvellous initiative, and I was very pleased to bring it about and launch it in the electorate of the member for Girrawheen.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr CARPENTER: I am quite happy to expand on that. There was unanimous acclaim for the effort the member for Girrawheen had put into ensuring that Balga Senior High School benefited from not only the laptop program but also so many other wonderful Labor Government initiatives that have gone into government schools in her electorate. I pass on people’s gratitude to her for that. We have launched the notebook computers for teachers program. The initial group will comprise 19 schools in which teachers will have access to the program. The rest of the government schools in Western Australia will be brought into the program next year as the telecommunications bandwidth expansion rolls out next year. The two events will occur in conjunction, as opposed to the box drop, which was the favourite approach of the previous Government to information technology. It is anticipated, as outlined so succinctly by the Auditor General, that at least 14 000 of the state’s school teachers will access the laptop computers. Mr Barnett: Is this the first time teachers have been given laptops? Mr CARPENTER: It is the first time they have been given access to laptop computers in this volume. The previous Government provided about 20 to Esperance. I am talking about 14 000 or 15 000 computers. Mr Barnett: It was 1 000 or so. The initiative was started by the coalition. Mr CARPENTER: I did not intend to provoke an interjection from the Leader of the Opposition, but now that he has made one, let me outline a couple of interesting little pieces of information. The previous Government entered enterprise bargaining agreement negotiations with the State School Teachers Union on the premise that laptops would be provided to teachers. As I recall it, the initiative was generated on our side of politics. In the last enterprise bargaining agreement, teachers were offered access to laptops at “affordable prices”. One detail missing was any allocation of funds by the previous Government. What is an “affordable price” when no money has been allocated to what would, in a full four-year cycle, be a $32 million program? The intention was that teachers would pay the full price for their computers, and whatever the price, it would be deemed affordable. It would have cost each teacher $14 to $15 a week. Mr Barnett interjected. Mr CARPENTER: There was no money. Mr Barnett: The minister should not come into the place and tell these untruths. Mr CARPENTER: I do not make a habit of it. Everybody in the Chamber knows that no funds were set aside by the previous Government for the provision of laptops. The present Government has provided teachers with access to laptops at $5 a week, or thereabouts, after tax. This is very affordable. The first 1 000 of them will be made available this calendar year. It was always impossible to do what the previous Government promised; that is, provide that access for all teachers in Western Australia in this calendar year. That was never going to be done. Mr McGinty: Particularly if there is no money. Mr CARPENTER: Without the money, the teachers would have had to pay for the whole lot. By the end of next year, all teachers in Western Australian government schools will be provided with access to laptops at that affordable price of around $5 a week after tax. The anticipation is that 14 000 to 15 000 teachers will take up that option. It is a very significant step, probably one of the most significant steps in developing resources for schoolteachers and modern pedagogy, that any Western Australian Government has provided. With the computers goes training and backup support, which the previous Government never intended to put in place. It is a marvellous initiative, and I was very pleased to bring it about and launch it in the electorate of the member for Girrawheen.
The SPEAKER: Order! Mr CARPENTER: I am quite happy to expand on that. There was unanimous acclaim for the effort the member for Girrawheen had put into ensuring that Balga Senior High School benefited from not only the laptop program but also so many other wonderful Labor Government initiatives that have gone into government schools in her electorate. I pass on people’s gratitude to her for that. We have launched the notebook computers for teachers program. The initial group will comprise 19 schools in which teachers will have access to the program. The rest of the government schools in Western Australia will be brought into the program next year as the telecommunications bandwidth expansion rolls out next year. The two events will occur in conjunction, as opposed to the box drop, which was the favourite approach of the previous Government to information technology. It is anticipated, as outlined so succinctly by the Auditor General, that at least 14 000 of the state’s school teachers will access the laptop computers. Mr Barnett: Is this the first time teachers have been given laptops? Mr CARPENTER: It is the first time they have been given access to laptop computers in this volume. The previous Government provided about 20 to Esperance. I am talking about 14 000 or 15 000 computers. Mr Barnett: It was 1 000 or so. The initiative was started by the coalition. Mr CARPENTER: I did not intend to provoke an interjection from the Leader of the Opposition, but now that he has made one, let me outline a couple of interesting little pieces of information. The previous Government entered enterprise bargaining agreement negotiations with the State School Teachers Union on the premise that laptops would be provided to teachers. As I recall it, the initiative was generated on our side of politics. In the last enterprise bargaining agreement, teachers were offered access to laptops at “affordable prices”. One detail missing was any allocation of funds by the previous Government. What is an “affordable price” when no money has been allocated to what would, in a full four-year cycle, be a $32 million program? The intention was that teachers would pay the full price for their computers, and whatever the price, it would be deemed affordable. It would have cost each teacher $14 to $15 a week. Mr Barnett interjected. Mr CARPENTER: There was no money. Mr Barnett: The minister should not come into the place and tell these untruths. Mr CARPENTER: I do not make a habit of it. Everybody in the Chamber knows that no funds were set aside by the previous Government for the provision of laptops. The present Government has provided teachers with access to laptops at $5 a week, or thereabouts, after tax. This is very affordable. The first 1 000 of them will be made available this calendar year. It was always impossible to do what the previous Government promised; that is, provide that access for all teachers in Western Australia in this calendar year. That was never going to be done. Mr McGinty: Particularly if there is no money. Mr CARPENTER: Without the money, the teachers would have had to pay for the whole lot. By the end of next year, all teachers in Western Australian government schools will be provided with access to laptops at that affordable price of around $5 a week after tax. The anticipation is that 14 000 to 15 000 teachers will take up that option. It is a very significant step, probably one of the most significant steps in developing resources for schoolteachers and modern pedagogy, that any Western Australian Government has provided. With the computers goes training and backup support, which the previous Government never intended to put in place. It is a marvellous initiative, and I was very pleased to bring it about and launch it in the electorate of the member for Girrawheen.
Mr CARPENTER: I am quite happy to expand on that. There was unanimous acclaim for the effort the member for Girrawheen had put into ensuring that Balga Senior High School benefited from not only the laptop program but also so many other wonderful Labor Government initiatives that have gone into government schools in her electorate. I pass on people’s gratitude to her for that. We have launched the notebook computers for teachers program. The initial group will comprise 19 schools in which teachers will have access to the program. The rest of the government schools in Western Australia will be brought into the program next year as the telecommunications bandwidth expansion rolls out next year. The two events will occur in conjunction, as opposed to the box drop, which was the favourite approach of the previous Government to information technology. It is anticipated, as outlined so succinctly by the Auditor General, that at least 14 000 of the state’s school teachers will access the laptop computers. Mr Barnett: Is this the first time teachers have been given laptops? Mr CARPENTER: It is the first time they have been given access to laptop computers in this volume. The previous Government provided about 20 to Esperance. I am talking about 14 000 or 15 000 computers. Mr Barnett: It was 1 000 or so. The initiative was started by the coalition. Mr CARPENTER: I did not intend to provoke an interjection from the Leader of the Opposition, but now that he has made one, let me outline a couple of interesting little pieces of information. The previous Government entered enterprise bargaining agreement negotiations with the State School Teachers Union on the premise that laptops would be provided to teachers. As I recall it, the initiative was generated on our side of politics. In the last enterprise bargaining agreement, teachers were offered access to laptops at “affordable prices”. One detail missing was any allocation of funds by the previous Government. What is an “affordable price” when no money has been allocated to what would, in a full four-year cycle, be a $32 million program? The intention was that teachers would pay the full price for their computers, and whatever the price, it would be deemed affordable. It would have cost each teacher $14 to $15 a week. Mr Barnett interjected. Mr CARPENTER: There was no money. Mr Barnett: The minister should not come into the place and tell these untruths. Mr CARPENTER: I do not make a habit of it. Everybody in the Chamber knows that no funds were set aside by the previous Government for the provision of laptops. The present Government has provided teachers with access to laptops at $5 a week, or thereabouts, after tax. This is very affordable. The first 1 000 of them will be made available this calendar year. It was always impossible to do what the previous Government promised; that is, provide that access for all teachers in Western Australia in this calendar year. That was never going to be done. Mr McGinty: Particularly if there is no money. Mr CARPENTER: Without the money, the teachers would have had to pay for the whole lot. By the end of next year, all teachers in Western Australian government schools will be provided with access to laptops at that affordable price of around $5 a week after tax. The anticipation is that 14 000 to 15 000 teachers will take up that option. It is a very significant step, probably one of the most significant steps in developing resources for schoolteachers and modern pedagogy, that any Western Australian Government has provided. With the computers goes training and backup support, which the previous Government never intended to put in place. It is a marvellous initiative, and I was very pleased to bring it about and launch it in the electorate of the member for Girrawheen.
We have launched the notebook computers for teachers program. The initial group will comprise 19 schools in which teachers will have access to the program. The rest of the government schools in Western Australia will be brought into the program next year as the telecommunications bandwidth expansion rolls out next year. The two events will occur in conjunction, as opposed to the box drop, which was the favourite approach of the previous Government to information technology. It is anticipated, as outlined so succinctly by the Auditor General, that at least 14 000 of the state’s school teachers will access the laptop computers. Mr Barnett: Is this the first time teachers have been given laptops? Mr CARPENTER: It is the first time they have been given access to laptop computers in this volume. The previous Government provided about 20 to Esperance. I am talking about 14 000 or 15 000 computers. Mr Barnett: It was 1 000 or so. The initiative was started by the coalition. Mr CARPENTER: I did not intend to provoke an interjection from the Leader of the Opposition, but now that he has made one, let me outline a couple of interesting little pieces of information. The previous Government entered enterprise bargaining agreement negotiations with the State School Teachers Union on the premise that laptops would be provided to teachers. As I recall it, the initiative was generated on our side of politics. In the last enterprise bargaining agreement, teachers were offered access to laptops at “affordable prices”. One detail missing was any allocation of funds by the previous Government. What is an “affordable price” when no money has been allocated to what would, in a full four-year cycle, be a $32 million program? The intention was that teachers would pay the full price for their computers, and whatever the price, it would be deemed affordable. It would have cost each teacher $14 to $15 a week. Mr Barnett interjected. Mr CARPENTER: There was no money. Mr Barnett: The minister should not come into the place and tell these untruths. Mr CARPENTER: I do not make a habit of it. Everybody in the Chamber knows that no funds were set aside by the previous Government for the provision of laptops. The present Government has provided teachers with access to laptops at $5 a week, or thereabouts, after tax. This is very affordable. The first 1 000 of them will be made available this calendar year. It was always impossible to do what the previous Government promised; that is, provide that access for all teachers in Western Australia in this calendar year. That was never going to be done. Mr McGinty: Particularly if there is no money. Mr CARPENTER: Without the money, the teachers would have had to pay for the whole lot. By the end of next year, all teachers in Western Australian government schools will be provided with access to laptops at that affordable price of around $5 a week after tax. The anticipation is that 14 000 to 15 000 teachers will take up that option. It is a very significant step, probably one of the most significant steps in developing resources for schoolteachers and modern pedagogy, that any Western Australian Government has provided. With the computers goes training and backup support, which the previous Government never intended to put in place. It is a marvellous initiative, and I was very pleased to bring it about and launch it in the electorate of the member for Girrawheen.
Mr Barnett: Is this the first time teachers have been given laptops? Mr CARPENTER: It is the first time they have been given access to laptop computers in this volume. The previous Government provided about 20 to Esperance. I am talking about 14 000 or 15 000 computers. Mr Barnett: It was 1 000 or so. The initiative was started by the coalition. Mr CARPENTER: I did not intend to provoke an interjection from the Leader of the Opposition, but now that he has made one, let me outline a couple of interesting little pieces of information. The previous Government entered enterprise bargaining agreement negotiations with the State School Teachers Union on the premise that laptops would be provided to teachers. As I recall it, the initiative was generated on our side of politics. In the last enterprise bargaining agreement, teachers were offered access to laptops at “affordable prices”. One detail missing was any allocation of funds by the previous Government. What is an “affordable price” when no money has been allocated to what would, in a full four-year cycle, be a $32 million program? The intention was that teachers would pay the full price for their computers, and whatever the price, it would be deemed affordable. It would have cost each teacher $14 to $15 a week. Mr Barnett interjected. Mr CARPENTER: There was no money. Mr Barnett: The minister should not come into the place and tell these untruths. Mr CARPENTER: I do not make a habit of it. Everybody in the Chamber knows that no funds were set aside by the previous Government for the provision of laptops. The present Government has provided teachers with access to laptops at $5 a week, or thereabouts, after tax. This is very affordable. The first 1 000 of them will be made available this calendar year. It was always impossible to do what the previous Government promised; that is, provide that access for all teachers in Western Australia in this calendar year. That was never going to be done. Mr McGinty: Particularly if there is no money. Mr CARPENTER: Without the money, the teachers would have had to pay for the whole lot. By the end of next year, all teachers in Western Australian government schools will be provided with access to laptops at that affordable price of around $5 a week after tax. The anticipation is that 14 000 to 15 000 teachers will take up that option. It is a very significant step, probably one of the most significant steps in developing resources for schoolteachers and modern pedagogy, that any Western Australian Government has provided. With the computers goes training and backup support, which the previous Government never intended to put in place. It is a marvellous initiative, and I was very pleased to bring it about and launch it in the electorate of the member for Girrawheen.
Mr CARPENTER: It is the first time they have been given access to laptop computers in this volume. The previous Government provided about 20 to Esperance. I am talking about 14 000 or 15 000 computers. Mr Barnett: It was 1 000 or so. The initiative was started by the coalition. Mr CARPENTER: I did not intend to provoke an interjection from the Leader of the Opposition, but now that he has made one, let me outline a couple of interesting little pieces of information. The previous Government entered enterprise bargaining agreement negotiations with the State School Teachers Union on the premise that laptops would be provided to teachers. As I recall it, the initiative was generated on our side of politics. In the last enterprise bargaining agreement, teachers were offered access to laptops at “affordable prices”. One detail missing was any allocation of funds by the previous Government. What is an “affordable price” when no money has been allocated to what would, in a full four-year cycle, be a $32 million program? The intention was that teachers would pay the full price for their computers, and whatever the price, it would be deemed affordable. It would have cost each teacher $14 to $15 a week. Mr Barnett interjected. Mr CARPENTER: There was no money. Mr Barnett: The minister should not come into the place and tell these untruths. Mr CARPENTER: I do not make a habit of it. Everybody in the Chamber knows that no funds were set aside by the previous Government for the provision of laptops. The present Government has provided teachers with access to laptops at $5 a week, or thereabouts, after tax. This is very affordable. The first 1 000 of them will be made available this calendar year. It was always impossible to do what the previous Government promised; that is, provide that access for all teachers in Western Australia in this calendar year. That was never going to be done. Mr McGinty: Particularly if there is no money. Mr CARPENTER: Without the money, the teachers would have had to pay for the whole lot. By the end of next year, all teachers in Western Australian government schools will be provided with access to laptops at that affordable price of around $5 a week after tax. The anticipation is that 14 000 to 15 000 teachers will take up that option. It is a very significant step, probably one of the most significant steps in developing resources for schoolteachers and modern pedagogy, that any Western Australian Government has provided. With the computers goes training and backup support, which the previous Government never intended to put in place. It is a marvellous initiative, and I was very pleased to bring it about and launch it in the electorate of the member for Girrawheen.
Mr Barnett: It was 1 000 or so. The initiative was started by the coalition. Mr CARPENTER: I did not intend to provoke an interjection from the Leader of the Opposition, but now that he has made one, let me outline a couple of interesting little pieces of information. The previous Government entered enterprise bargaining agreement negotiations with the State School Teachers Union on the premise that laptops would be provided to teachers. As I recall it, the initiative was generated on our side of politics. In the last enterprise bargaining agreement, teachers were offered access to laptops at “affordable prices”. One detail missing was any allocation of funds by the previous Government. What is an “affordable price” when no money has been allocated to what would, in a full four-year cycle, be a $32 million program? The intention was that teachers would pay the full price for their computers, and whatever the price, it would be deemed affordable. It would have cost each teacher $14 to $15 a week. Mr Barnett interjected. Mr CARPENTER: There was no money. Mr Barnett: The minister should not come into the place and tell these untruths. Mr CARPENTER: I do not make a habit of it. Everybody in the Chamber knows that no funds were set aside by the previous Government for the provision of laptops. The present Government has provided teachers with access to laptops at $5 a week, or thereabouts, after tax. This is very affordable. The first 1 000 of them will be made available this calendar year. It was always impossible to do what the previous Government promised; that is, provide that access for all teachers in Western Australia in this calendar year. That was never going to be done. Mr McGinty: Particularly if there is no money. Mr CARPENTER: Without the money, the teachers would have had to pay for the whole lot. By the end of next year, all teachers in Western Australian government schools will be provided with access to laptops at that affordable price of around $5 a week after tax. The anticipation is that 14 000 to 15 000 teachers will take up that option. It is a very significant step, probably one of the most significant steps in developing resources for schoolteachers and modern pedagogy, that any Western Australian Government has provided. With the computers goes training and backup support, which the previous Government never intended to put in place. It is a marvellous initiative, and I was very pleased to bring it about and launch it in the electorate of the member for Girrawheen.
Mr CARPENTER: I did not intend to provoke an interjection from the Leader of the Opposition, but now that he has made one, let me outline a couple of interesting little pieces of information. The previous Government entered enterprise bargaining agreement negotiations with the State School Teachers Union on the premise that laptops would be provided to teachers. As I recall it, the initiative was generated on our side of politics. In the last enterprise bargaining agreement, teachers were offered access to laptops at “affordable prices”. One detail missing was any allocation of funds by the previous Government. What is an “affordable price” when no money has been allocated to what would, in a full four-year cycle, be a $32 million program? The intention was that teachers would pay the full price for their computers, and whatever the price, it would be deemed affordable. It would have cost each teacher $14 to $15 a week. Mr Barnett interjected. Mr CARPENTER: There was no money. Mr Barnett: The minister should not come into the place and tell these untruths. Mr CARPENTER: I do not make a habit of it. Everybody in the Chamber knows that no funds were set aside by the previous Government for the provision of laptops. The present Government has provided teachers with access to laptops at $5 a week, or thereabouts, after tax. This is very affordable. The first 1 000 of them will be made available this calendar year. It was always impossible to do what the previous Government promised; that is, provide that access for all teachers in Western Australia in this calendar year. That was never going to be done. Mr McGinty: Particularly if there is no money. Mr CARPENTER: Without the money, the teachers would have had to pay for the whole lot. By the end of next year, all teachers in Western Australian government schools will be provided with access to laptops at that affordable price of around $5 a week after tax. The anticipation is that 14 000 to 15 000 teachers will take up that option. It is a very significant step, probably one of the most significant steps in developing resources for schoolteachers and modern pedagogy, that any Western Australian Government has provided. With the computers goes training and backup support, which the previous Government never intended to put in place. It is a marvellous initiative, and I was very pleased to bring it about and launch it in the electorate of the member for Girrawheen.
Mr Barnett interjected. Mr CARPENTER: There was no money. Mr Barnett: The minister should not come into the place and tell these untruths. Mr CARPENTER: I do not make a habit of it. Everybody in the Chamber knows that no funds were set aside by the previous Government for the provision of laptops. The present Government has provided teachers with access to laptops at $5 a week, or thereabouts, after tax. This is very affordable. The first 1 000 of them will be made available this calendar year. It was always impossible to do what the previous Government promised; that is, provide that access for all teachers in Western Australia in this calendar year. That was never going to be done. Mr McGinty: Particularly if there is no money. Mr CARPENTER: Without the money, the teachers would have had to pay for the whole lot. By the end of next year, all teachers in Western Australian government schools will be provided with access to laptops at that affordable price of around $5 a week after tax. The anticipation is that 14 000 to 15 000 teachers will take up that option. It is a very significant step, probably one of the most significant steps in developing resources for schoolteachers and modern pedagogy, that any Western Australian Government has provided. With the computers goes training and backup support, which the previous Government never intended to put in place. It is a marvellous initiative, and I was very pleased to bring it about and launch it in the electorate of the member for Girrawheen.
Mr CARPENTER: There was no money. Mr Barnett: The minister should not come into the place and tell these untruths. Mr CARPENTER: I do not make a habit of it. Everybody in the Chamber knows that no funds were set aside by the previous Government for the provision of laptops. The present Government has provided teachers with access to laptops at $5 a week, or thereabouts, after tax. This is very affordable. The first 1 000 of them will be made available this calendar year. It was always impossible to do what the previous Government promised; that is, provide that access for all teachers in Western Australia in this calendar year. That was never going to be done. Mr McGinty: Particularly if there is no money. Mr CARPENTER: Without the money, the teachers would have had to pay for the whole lot. By the end of next year, all teachers in Western Australian government schools will be provided with access to laptops at that affordable price of around $5 a week after tax. The anticipation is that 14 000 to 15 000 teachers will take up that option. It is a very significant step, probably one of the most significant steps in developing resources for schoolteachers and modern pedagogy, that any Western Australian Government has provided. With the computers goes training and backup support, which the previous Government never intended to put in place. It is a marvellous initiative, and I was very pleased to bring it about and launch it in the electorate of the member for Girrawheen.
Mr Barnett: The minister should not come into the place and tell these untruths. Mr CARPENTER: I do not make a habit of it. Everybody in the Chamber knows that no funds were set aside by the previous Government for the provision of laptops. The present Government has provided teachers with access to laptops at $5 a week, or thereabouts, after tax. This is very affordable. The first 1 000 of them will be made available this calendar year. It was always impossible to do what the previous Government promised; that is, provide that access for all teachers in Western Australia in this calendar year. That was never going to be done. Mr McGinty: Particularly if there is no money. Mr CARPENTER: Without the money, the teachers would have had to pay for the whole lot. By the end of next year, all teachers in Western Australian government schools will be provided with access to laptops at that affordable price of around $5 a week after tax. The anticipation is that 14 000 to 15 000 teachers will take up that option. It is a very significant step, probably one of the most significant steps in developing resources for schoolteachers and modern pedagogy, that any Western Australian Government has provided. With the computers goes training and backup support, which the previous Government never intended to put in place. It is a marvellous initiative, and I was very pleased to bring it about and launch it in the electorate of the member for Girrawheen.
Mr CARPENTER: I do not make a habit of it. Everybody in the Chamber knows that no funds were set aside by the previous Government for the provision of laptops. The present Government has provided teachers with access to laptops at $5 a week, or thereabouts, after tax. This is very affordable. The first 1 000 of them will be made available this calendar year. It was always impossible to do what the previous Government promised; that is, provide that access for all teachers in Western Australia in this calendar year. That was never going to be done. Mr McGinty: Particularly if there is no money. Mr CARPENTER: Without the money, the teachers would have had to pay for the whole lot. By the end of next year, all teachers in Western Australian government schools will be provided with access to laptops at that affordable price of around $5 a week after tax. The anticipation is that 14 000 to 15 000 teachers will take up that option. It is a very significant step, probably one of the most significant steps in developing resources for schoolteachers and modern pedagogy, that any Western Australian Government has provided. With the computers goes training and backup support, which the previous Government never intended to put in place. It is a marvellous initiative, and I was very pleased to bring it about and launch it in the electorate of the member for Girrawheen.
Mr McGinty: Particularly if there is no money. Mr CARPENTER: Without the money, the teachers would have had to pay for the whole lot. By the end of next year, all teachers in Western Australian government schools will be provided with access to laptops at that affordable price of around $5 a week after tax. The anticipation is that 14 000 to 15 000 teachers will take up that option. It is a very significant step, probably one of the most significant steps in developing resources for schoolteachers and modern pedagogy, that any Western Australian Government has provided. With the computers goes training and backup support, which the previous Government never intended to put in place. It is a marvellous initiative, and I was very pleased to bring it about and launch it in the electorate of the member for Girrawheen.
Mr CARPENTER: Without the money, the teachers would have had to pay for the whole lot. By the end of next year, all teachers in Western Australian government schools will be provided with access to laptops at that affordable price of around $5 a week after tax. The anticipation is that 14 000 to 15 000 teachers will take up that option. It is a very significant step, probably one of the most significant steps in developing resources for schoolteachers and modern pedagogy, that any Western Australian Government has provided. With the computers goes training and backup support, which the previous Government never intended to put in place. It is a marvellous initiative, and I was very pleased to bring it about and launch it in the electorate of the member for Girrawheen.
Mr CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for the question, and for some small amount of advance notice of it. Earlier today I had the pleasure of launching the notebook computers for teachers program at Balga Senior High School, which of course is in the member for Girrawheen’s electorate. Unfortunately, due to her parliamentary duties as the chair of a committee, she was unable to attend. It was a wonderful event. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr CARPENTER: I am quite happy to expand on that. There was unanimous acclaim for the effort the member for Girrawheen had put into ensuring that Balga Senior High School benefited from not only the laptop program but also so many other wonderful Labor Government initiatives that have gone into government schools in her electorate. I pass on people’s gratitude to her for that. We have launched the notebook computers for teachers program. The initial group will comprise 19 schools in which teachers will have access to the program. The rest of the government schools in Western Australia will be brought into the program next year as the telecommunications bandwidth expansion rolls out next year. The two events will occur in conjunction, as opposed to the box drop, which was the favourite approach of the previous Government to information technology. It is anticipated, as outlined so succinctly by the Auditor General, that at least 14 000 of the state’s school teachers will access the laptop computers. Mr Barnett: Is this the first time teachers have been given laptops? Mr CARPENTER: It is the first time they have been given access to laptop computers in this volume. The previous Government provided about 20 to Esperance. I am talking about 14 000 or 15 000 computers. Mr Barnett: It was 1 000 or so. The initiative was started by the coalition. Mr CARPENTER: I did not intend to provoke an interjection from the Leader of the Opposition, but now that he has made one, let me outline a couple of interesting little pieces of information. The previous Government entered enterprise bargaining agreement negotiations with the State School Teachers Union on the premise that laptops would be provided to teachers. As I recall it, the initiative was generated on our side of politics. In the last enterprise bargaining agreement, teachers were offered access to laptops at “affordable prices”. One detail missing was any allocation of funds by the previous Government. What is an “affordable price” when no money has been allocated to what would, in a full four-year cycle, be a $32 million program? The intention was that teachers would pay the full price for their computers, and whatever the price, it would be deemed affordable. It would have cost each teacher $14 to $15 a week. Mr Barnett interjected. Mr CARPENTER: There was no money. Mr Barnett: The minister should not come into the place and tell these untruths. Mr CARPENTER: I do not make a habit of it. Everybody in the Chamber knows that no funds were set aside by the previous Government for the provision of laptops. The present Government has provided teachers with access to laptops at $5 a week, or thereabouts, after tax. This is very affordable. The first 1 000 of them will be made available this calendar year. It was always impossible to do what the previous Government promised; that is, provide that access for all teachers in Western Australia in this calendar year. That was never going to be done. Mr McGinty: Particularly if there is no money. Mr CARPENTER: Without the money, the teachers would have had to pay for the whole lot. By the end of next year, all teachers in Western Australian government schools will be provided with access to laptops at that affordable price of around $5 a week after tax. The anticipation is that 14 000 to 15 000 teachers will take up that option. It is a very significant step, probably one of the most significant steps in developing resources for schoolteachers and modern pedagogy, that any Western Australian Government has provided. With the computers goes training and backup support, which the previous Government never intended to put in place. It is a marvellous initiative, and I was very pleased to bring it about and launch it in the electorate of the member for Girrawheen.
I thank the member for the question, and for some small amount of advance notice of it. Earlier today I had the pleasure of launching the notebook computers for teachers program at Balga Senior High School, which of course is in the member for Girrawheen’s electorate. Unfortunately, due to her parliamentary duties as the chair of a committee, she was unable to attend. It was a wonderful event. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr CARPENTER: I am quite happy to expand on that. There was unanimous acclaim for the effort the member for Girrawheen had put into ensuring that Balga Senior High School benefited from not only the laptop program but also so many other wonderful Labor Government initiatives that have gone into government schools in her electorate. I pass on people’s gratitude to her for that. We have launched the notebook computers for teachers program. The initial group will comprise 19 schools in which teachers will have access to the program. The rest of the government schools in Western Australia will be brought into the program next year as the telecommunications bandwidth expansion rolls out next year. The two events will occur in conjunction, as opposed to the box drop, which was the favourite approach of the previous Government to information technology. It is anticipated, as outlined so succinctly by the Auditor General, that at least 14 000 of the state’s school teachers will access the laptop computers. Mr Barnett: Is this the first time teachers have been given laptops? Mr CARPENTER: It is the first time they have been given access to laptop computers in this volume. The previous Government provided about 20 to Esperance. I am talking about 14 000 or 15 000 computers. Mr Barnett: It was 1 000 or so. The initiative was started by the coalition. Mr CARPENTER: I did not intend to provoke an interjection from the Leader of the Opposition, but now that he has made one, let me outline a couple of interesting little pieces of information. The previous Government entered enterprise bargaining agreement negotiations with the State School Teachers Union on the premise that laptops would be provided to teachers. As I recall it, the initiative was generated on our side of politics. In the last enterprise bargaining agreement, teachers were offered access to laptops at “affordable prices”. One detail missing was any allocation of funds by the previous Government. What is an “affordable price” when no money has been allocated to what would, in a full four-year cycle, be a $32 million program? The intention was that teachers would pay the full price for their computers, and whatever the price, it would be deemed affordable. It would have cost each teacher $14 to $15 a week. Mr Barnett interjected. Mr CARPENTER: There was no money. Mr Barnett: The minister should not come into the place and tell these untruths. Mr CARPENTER: I do not make a habit of it. Everybody in the Chamber knows that no funds were set aside by the previous Government for the provision of laptops. The present Government has provided teachers with access to laptops at $5 a week, or thereabouts, after tax. This is very affordable. The first 1 000 of them will be made available this calendar year. It was always impossible to do what the previous Government promised; that is, provide that access for all teachers in Western Australia in this calendar year. That was never going to be done. Mr McGinty: Particularly if there is no money. Mr CARPENTER: Without the money, the teachers would have had to pay for the whole lot. By the end of next year, all teachers in Western Australian government schools will be provided with access to laptops at that affordable price of around $5 a week after tax. The anticipation is that 14 000 to 15 000 teachers will take up that option. It is a very significant step, probably one of the most significant steps in developing resources for schoolteachers and modern pedagogy, that any Western Australian Government has provided. With the computers goes training and backup support, which the previous Government never intended to put in place. It is a marvellous initiative, and I was very pleased to bring it about and launch it in the electorate of the member for Girrawheen.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order! Mr CARPENTER: I am quite happy to expand on that. There was unanimous acclaim for the effort the member for Girrawheen had put into ensuring that Balga Senior High School benefited from not only the laptop program but also so many other wonderful Labor Government initiatives that have gone into government schools in her electorate. I pass on people’s gratitude to her for that. We have launched the notebook computers for teachers program. The initial group will comprise 19 schools in which teachers will have access to the program. The rest of the government schools in Western Australia will be brought into the program next year as the telecommunications bandwidth expansion rolls out next year. The two events will occur in conjunction, as opposed to the box drop, which was the favourite approach of the previous Government to information technology. It is anticipated, as outlined so succinctly by the Auditor General, that at least 14 000 of the state’s school teachers will access the laptop computers. Mr Barnett: Is this the first time teachers have been given laptops? Mr CARPENTER: It is the first time they have been given access to laptop computers in this volume. The previous Government provided about 20 to Esperance. I am talking about 14 000 or 15 000 computers. Mr Barnett: It was 1 000 or so. The initiative was started by the coalition. Mr CARPENTER: I did not intend to provoke an interjection from the Leader of the Opposition, but now that he has made one, let me outline a couple of interesting little pieces of information. The previous Government entered enterprise bargaining agreement negotiations with the State School Teachers Union on the premise that laptops would be provided to teachers. As I recall it, the initiative was generated on our side of politics. In the last enterprise bargaining agreement, teachers were offered access to laptops at “affordable prices”. One detail missing was any allocation of funds by the previous Government. What is an “affordable price” when no money has been allocated to what would, in a full four-year cycle, be a $32 million program? The intention was that teachers would pay the full price for their computers, and whatever the price, it would be deemed affordable. It would have cost each teacher $14 to $15 a week. Mr Barnett interjected. Mr CARPENTER: There was no money. Mr Barnett: The minister should not come into the place and tell these untruths. Mr CARPENTER: I do not make a habit of it. Everybody in the Chamber knows that no funds were set aside by the previous Government for the provision of laptops. The present Government has provided teachers with access to laptops at $5 a week, or thereabouts, after tax. This is very affordable. The first 1 000 of them will be made available this calendar year. It was always impossible to do what the previous Government promised; that is, provide that access for all teachers in Western Australia in this calendar year. That was never going to be done. Mr McGinty: Particularly if there is no money. Mr CARPENTER: Without the money, the teachers would have had to pay for the whole lot. By the end of next year, all teachers in Western Australian government schools will be provided with access to laptops at that affordable price of around $5 a week after tax. The anticipation is that 14 000 to 15 000 teachers will take up that option. It is a very significant step, probably one of the most significant steps in developing resources for schoolteachers and modern pedagogy, that any Western Australian Government has provided. With the computers goes training and backup support, which the previous Government never intended to put in place. It is a marvellous initiative, and I was very pleased to bring it about and launch it in the electorate of the member for Girrawheen.
The SPEAKER: Order! Mr CARPENTER: I am quite happy to expand on that. There was unanimous acclaim for the effort the member for Girrawheen had put into ensuring that Balga Senior High School benefited from not only the laptop program but also so many other wonderful Labor Government initiatives that have gone into government schools in her electorate. I pass on people’s gratitude to her for that. We have launched the notebook computers for teachers program. The initial group will comprise 19 schools in which teachers will have access to the program. The rest of the government schools in Western Australia will be brought into the program next year as the telecommunications bandwidth expansion rolls out next year. The two events will occur in conjunction, as opposed to the box drop, which was the favourite approach of the previous Government to information technology. It is anticipated, as outlined so succinctly by the Auditor General, that at least 14 000 of the state’s school teachers will access the laptop computers. Mr Barnett: Is this the first time teachers have been given laptops? Mr CARPENTER: It is the first time they have been given access to laptop computers in this volume. The previous Government provided about 20 to Esperance. I am talking about 14 000 or 15 000 computers. Mr Barnett: It was 1 000 or so. The initiative was started by the coalition. Mr CARPENTER: I did not intend to provoke an interjection from the Leader of the Opposition, but now that he has made one, let me outline a couple of interesting little pieces of information. The previous Government entered enterprise bargaining agreement negotiations with the State School Teachers Union on the premise that laptops would be provided to teachers. As I recall it, the initiative was generated on our side of politics. In the last enterprise bargaining agreement, teachers were offered access to laptops at “affordable prices”. One detail missing was any allocation of funds by the previous Government. What is an “affordable price” when no money has been allocated to what would, in a full four-year cycle, be a $32 million program? The intention was that teachers would pay the full price for their computers, and whatever the price, it would be deemed affordable. It would have cost each teacher $14 to $15 a week. Mr Barnett interjected. Mr CARPENTER: There was no money. Mr Barnett: The minister should not come into the place and tell these untruths. Mr CARPENTER: I do not make a habit of it. Everybody in the Chamber knows that no funds were set aside by the previous Government for the provision of laptops. The present Government has provided teachers with access to laptops at $5 a week, or thereabouts, after tax. This is very affordable. The first 1 000 of them will be made available this calendar year. It was always impossible to do what the previous Government promised; that is, provide that access for all teachers in Western Australia in this calendar year. That was never going to be done. Mr McGinty: Particularly if there is no money. Mr CARPENTER: Without the money, the teachers would have had to pay for the whole lot. By the end of next year, all teachers in Western Australian government schools will be provided with access to laptops at that affordable price of around $5 a week after tax. The anticipation is that 14 000 to 15 000 teachers will take up that option. It is a very significant step, probably one of the most significant steps in developing resources for schoolteachers and modern pedagogy, that any Western Australian Government has provided. With the computers goes training and backup support, which the previous Government never intended to put in place. It is a marvellous initiative, and I was very pleased to bring it about and launch it in the electorate of the member for Girrawheen.
Mr CARPENTER: I am quite happy to expand on that. There was unanimous acclaim for the effort the member for Girrawheen had put into ensuring that Balga Senior High School benefited from not only the laptop program but also so many other wonderful Labor Government initiatives that have gone into government schools in her electorate. I pass on people’s gratitude to her for that. We have launched the notebook computers for teachers program. The initial group will comprise 19 schools in which teachers will have access to the program. The rest of the government schools in Western Australia will be brought into the program next year as the telecommunications bandwidth expansion rolls out next year. The two events will occur in conjunction, as opposed to the box drop, which was the favourite approach of the previous Government to information technology. It is anticipated, as outlined so succinctly by the Auditor General, that at least 14 000 of the state’s school teachers will access the laptop computers. Mr Barnett: Is this the first time teachers have been given laptops? Mr CARPENTER: It is the first time they have been given access to laptop computers in this volume. The previous Government provided about 20 to Esperance. I am talking about 14 000 or 15 000 computers. Mr Barnett: It was 1 000 or so. The initiative was started by the coalition. Mr CARPENTER: I did not intend to provoke an interjection from the Leader of the Opposition, but now that he has made one, let me outline a couple of interesting little pieces of information. The previous Government entered enterprise bargaining agreement negotiations with the State School Teachers Union on the premise that laptops would be provided to teachers. As I recall it, the initiative was generated on our side of politics. In the last enterprise bargaining agreement, teachers were offered access to laptops at “affordable prices”. One detail missing was any allocation of funds by the previous Government. What is an “affordable price” when no money has been allocated to what would, in a full four-year cycle, be a $32 million program? The intention was that teachers would pay the full price for their computers, and whatever the price, it would be deemed affordable. It would have cost each teacher $14 to $15 a week. Mr Barnett interjected. Mr CARPENTER: There was no money. Mr Barnett: The minister should not come into the place and tell these untruths. Mr CARPENTER: I do not make a habit of it. Everybody in the Chamber knows that no funds were set aside by the previous Government for the provision of laptops. The present Government has provided teachers with access to laptops at $5 a week, or thereabouts, after tax. This is very affordable. The first 1 000 of them will be made available this calendar year. It was always impossible to do what the previous Government promised; that is, provide that access for all teachers in Western Australia in this calendar year. That was never going to be done. Mr McGinty: Particularly if there is no money. Mr CARPENTER: Without the money, the teachers would have had to pay for the whole lot. By the end of next year, all teachers in Western Australian government schools will be provided with access to laptops at that affordable price of around $5 a week after tax. The anticipation is that 14 000 to 15 000 teachers will take up that option. It is a very significant step, probably one of the most significant steps in developing resources for schoolteachers and modern pedagogy, that any Western Australian Government has provided. With the computers goes training and backup support, which the previous Government never intended to put in place. It is a marvellous initiative, and I was very pleased to bring it about and launch it in the electorate of the member for Girrawheen.
We have launched the notebook computers for teachers program. The initial group will comprise 19 schools in which teachers will have access to the program. The rest of the government schools in Western Australia will be brought into the program next year as the telecommunications bandwidth expansion rolls out next year. The two events will occur in conjunction, as opposed to the box drop, which was the favourite approach of the previous Government to information technology. It is anticipated, as outlined so succinctly by the Auditor General, that at least 14 000 of the state’s school teachers will access the laptop computers. Mr Barnett: Is this the first time teachers have been given laptops? Mr CARPENTER: It is the first time they have been given access to laptop computers in this volume. The previous Government provided about 20 to Esperance. I am talking about 14 000 or 15 000 computers. Mr Barnett: It was 1 000 or so. The initiative was started by the coalition. Mr CARPENTER: I did not intend to provoke an interjection from the Leader of the Opposition, but now that he has made one, let me outline a couple of interesting little pieces of information. The previous Government entered enterprise bargaining agreement negotiations with the State School Teachers Union on the premise that laptops would be provided to teachers. As I recall it, the initiative was generated on our side of politics. In the last enterprise bargaining agreement, teachers were offered access to laptops at “affordable prices”. One detail missing was any allocation of funds by the previous Government. What is an “affordable price” when no money has been allocated to what would, in a full four-year cycle, be a $32 million program? The intention was that teachers would pay the full price for their computers, and whatever the price, it would be deemed affordable. It would have cost each teacher $14 to $15 a week. Mr Barnett interjected. Mr CARPENTER: There was no money. Mr Barnett: The minister should not come into the place and tell these untruths. Mr CARPENTER: I do not make a habit of it. Everybody in the Chamber knows that no funds were set aside by the previous Government for the provision of laptops. The present Government has provided teachers with access to laptops at $5 a week, or thereabouts, after tax. This is very affordable. The first 1 000 of them will be made available this calendar year. It was always impossible to do what the previous Government promised; that is, provide that access for all teachers in Western Australia in this calendar year. That was never going to be done. Mr McGinty: Particularly if there is no money. Mr CARPENTER: Without the money, the teachers would have had to pay for the whole lot. By the end of next year, all teachers in Western Australian government schools will be provided with access to laptops at that affordable price of around $5 a week after tax. The anticipation is that 14 000 to 15 000 teachers will take up that option. It is a very significant step, probably one of the most significant steps in developing resources for schoolteachers and modern pedagogy, that any Western Australian Government has provided. With the computers goes training and backup support, which the previous Government never intended to put in place. It is a marvellous initiative, and I was very pleased to bring it about and launch it in the electorate of the member for Girrawheen.
Mr Barnett: Is this the first time teachers have been given laptops? Mr CARPENTER: It is the first time they have been given access to laptop computers in this volume. The previous Government provided about 20 to Esperance. I am talking about 14 000 or 15 000 computers. Mr Barnett: It was 1 000 or so. The initiative was started by the coalition. Mr CARPENTER: I did not intend to provoke an interjection from the Leader of the Opposition, but now that he has made one, let me outline a couple of interesting little pieces of information. The previous Government entered enterprise bargaining agreement negotiations with the State School Teachers Union on the premise that laptops would be provided to teachers. As I recall it, the initiative was generated on our side of politics. In the last enterprise bargaining agreement, teachers were offered access to laptops at “affordable prices”. One detail missing was any allocation of funds by the previous Government. What is an “affordable price” when no money has been allocated to what would, in a full four-year cycle, be a $32 million program? The intention was that teachers would pay the full price for their computers, and whatever the price, it would be deemed affordable. It would have cost each teacher $14 to $15 a week. Mr Barnett interjected. Mr CARPENTER: There was no money. Mr Barnett: The minister should not come into the place and tell these untruths. Mr CARPENTER: I do not make a habit of it. Everybody in the Chamber knows that no funds were set aside by the previous Government for the provision of laptops. The present Government has provided teachers with access to laptops at $5 a week, or thereabouts, after tax. This is very affordable. The first 1 000 of them will be made available this calendar year. It was always impossible to do what the previous Government promised; that is, provide that access for all teachers in Western Australia in this calendar year. That was never going to be done. Mr McGinty: Particularly if there is no money. Mr CARPENTER: Without the money, the teachers would have had to pay for the whole lot. By the end of next year, all teachers in Western Australian government schools will be provided with access to laptops at that affordable price of around $5 a week after tax. The anticipation is that 14 000 to 15 000 teachers will take up that option. It is a very significant step, probably one of the most significant steps in developing resources for schoolteachers and modern pedagogy, that any Western Australian Government has provided. With the computers goes training and backup support, which the previous Government never intended to put in place. It is a marvellous initiative, and I was very pleased to bring it about and launch it in the electorate of the member for Girrawheen.
Mr CARPENTER: It is the first time they have been given access to laptop computers in this volume. The previous Government provided about 20 to Esperance. I am talking about 14 000 or 15 000 computers. Mr Barnett: It was 1 000 or so. The initiative was started by the coalition. Mr CARPENTER: I did not intend to provoke an interjection from the Leader of the Opposition, but now that he has made one, let me outline a couple of interesting little pieces of information. The previous Government entered enterprise bargaining agreement negotiations with the State School Teachers Union on the premise that laptops would be provided to teachers. As I recall it, the initiative was generated on our side of politics. In the last enterprise bargaining agreement, teachers were offered access to laptops at “affordable prices”. One detail missing was any allocation of funds by the previous Government. What is an “affordable price” when no money has been allocated to what would, in a full four-year cycle, be a $32 million program? The intention was that teachers would pay the full price for their computers, and whatever the price, it would be deemed affordable. It would have cost each teacher $14 to $15 a week. Mr Barnett interjected. Mr CARPENTER: There was no money. Mr Barnett: The minister should not come into the place and tell these untruths. Mr CARPENTER: I do not make a habit of it. Everybody in the Chamber knows that no funds were set aside by the previous Government for the provision of laptops. The present Government has provided teachers with access to laptops at $5 a week, or thereabouts, after tax. This is very affordable. The first 1 000 of them will be made available this calendar year. It was always impossible to do what the previous Government promised; that is, provide that access for all teachers in Western Australia in this calendar year. That was never going to be done. Mr McGinty: Particularly if there is no money. Mr CARPENTER: Without the money, the teachers would have had to pay for the whole lot. By the end of next year, all teachers in Western Australian government schools will be provided with access to laptops at that affordable price of around $5 a week after tax. The anticipation is that 14 000 to 15 000 teachers will take up that option. It is a very significant step, probably one of the most significant steps in developing resources for schoolteachers and modern pedagogy, that any Western Australian Government has provided. With the computers goes training and backup support, which the previous Government never intended to put in place. It is a marvellous initiative, and I was very pleased to bring it about and launch it in the electorate of the member for Girrawheen.
Mr Barnett: It was 1 000 or so. The initiative was started by the coalition. Mr CARPENTER: I did not intend to provoke an interjection from the Leader of the Opposition, but now that he has made one, let me outline a couple of interesting little pieces of information. The previous Government entered enterprise bargaining agreement negotiations with the State School Teachers Union on the premise that laptops would be provided to teachers. As I recall it, the initiative was generated on our side of politics. In the last enterprise bargaining agreement, teachers were offered access to laptops at “affordable prices”. One detail missing was any allocation of funds by the previous Government. What is an “affordable price” when no money has been allocated to what would, in a full four-year cycle, be a $32 million program? The intention was that teachers would pay the full price for their computers, and whatever the price, it would be deemed affordable. It would have cost each teacher $14 to $15 a week. Mr Barnett interjected. Mr CARPENTER: There was no money. Mr Barnett: The minister should not come into the place and tell these untruths. Mr CARPENTER: I do not make a habit of it. Everybody in the Chamber knows that no funds were set aside by the previous Government for the provision of laptops. The present Government has provided teachers with access to laptops at $5 a week, or thereabouts, after tax. This is very affordable. The first 1 000 of them will be made available this calendar year. It was always impossible to do what the previous Government promised; that is, provide that access for all teachers in Western Australia in this calendar year. That was never going to be done. Mr McGinty: Particularly if there is no money. Mr CARPENTER: Without the money, the teachers would have had to pay for the whole lot. By the end of next year, all teachers in Western Australian government schools will be provided with access to laptops at that affordable price of around $5 a week after tax. The anticipation is that 14 000 to 15 000 teachers will take up that option. It is a very significant step, probably one of the most significant steps in developing resources for schoolteachers and modern pedagogy, that any Western Australian Government has provided. With the computers goes training and backup support, which the previous Government never intended to put in place. It is a marvellous initiative, and I was very pleased to bring it about and launch it in the electorate of the member for Girrawheen.
Mr CARPENTER: I did not intend to provoke an interjection from the Leader of the Opposition, but now that he has made one, let me outline a couple of interesting little pieces of information. The previous Government entered enterprise bargaining agreement negotiations with the State School Teachers Union on the premise that laptops would be provided to teachers. As I recall it, the initiative was generated on our side of politics. In the last enterprise bargaining agreement, teachers were offered access to laptops at “affordable prices”. One detail missing was any allocation of funds by the previous Government. What is an “affordable price” when no money has been allocated to what would, in a full four-year cycle, be a $32 million program? The intention was that teachers would pay the full price for their computers, and whatever the price, it would be deemed affordable. It would have cost each teacher $14 to $15 a week. Mr Barnett interjected. Mr CARPENTER: There was no money. Mr Barnett: The minister should not come into the place and tell these untruths. Mr CARPENTER: I do not make a habit of it. Everybody in the Chamber knows that no funds were set aside by the previous Government for the provision of laptops. The present Government has provided teachers with access to laptops at $5 a week, or thereabouts, after tax. This is very affordable. The first 1 000 of them will be made available this calendar year. It was always impossible to do what the previous Government promised; that is, provide that access for all teachers in Western Australia in this calendar year. That was never going to be done. Mr McGinty: Particularly if there is no money. Mr CARPENTER: Without the money, the teachers would have had to pay for the whole lot. By the end of next year, all teachers in Western Australian government schools will be provided with access to laptops at that affordable price of around $5 a week after tax. The anticipation is that 14 000 to 15 000 teachers will take up that option. It is a very significant step, probably one of the most significant steps in developing resources for schoolteachers and modern pedagogy, that any Western Australian Government has provided. With the computers goes training and backup support, which the previous Government never intended to put in place. It is a marvellous initiative, and I was very pleased to bring it about and launch it in the electorate of the member for Girrawheen.
Mr Barnett interjected. Mr CARPENTER: There was no money. Mr Barnett: The minister should not come into the place and tell these untruths. Mr CARPENTER: I do not make a habit of it. Everybody in the Chamber knows that no funds were set aside by the previous Government for the provision of laptops. The present Government has provided teachers with access to laptops at $5 a week, or thereabouts, after tax. This is very affordable. The first 1 000 of them will be made available this calendar year. It was always impossible to do what the previous Government promised; that is, provide that access for all teachers in Western Australia in this calendar year. That was never going to be done. Mr McGinty: Particularly if there is no money. Mr CARPENTER: Without the money, the teachers would have had to pay for the whole lot. By the end of next year, all teachers in Western Australian government schools will be provided with access to laptops at that affordable price of around $5 a week after tax. The anticipation is that 14 000 to 15 000 teachers will take up that option. It is a very significant step, probably one of the most significant steps in developing resources for schoolteachers and modern pedagogy, that any Western Australian Government has provided. With the computers goes training and backup support, which the previous Government never intended to put in place. It is a marvellous initiative, and I was very pleased to bring it about and launch it in the electorate of the member for Girrawheen.
Mr CARPENTER: There was no money. Mr Barnett: The minister should not come into the place and tell these untruths. Mr CARPENTER: I do not make a habit of it. Everybody in the Chamber knows that no funds were set aside by the previous Government for the provision of laptops. The present Government has provided teachers with access to laptops at $5 a week, or thereabouts, after tax. This is very affordable. The first 1 000 of them will be made available this calendar year. It was always impossible to do what the previous Government promised; that is, provide that access for all teachers in Western Australia in this calendar year. That was never going to be done. Mr McGinty: Particularly if there is no money. Mr CARPENTER: Without the money, the teachers would have had to pay for the whole lot. By the end of next year, all teachers in Western Australian government schools will be provided with access to laptops at that affordable price of around $5 a week after tax. The anticipation is that 14 000 to 15 000 teachers will take up that option. It is a very significant step, probably one of the most significant steps in developing resources for schoolteachers and modern pedagogy, that any Western Australian Government has provided. With the computers goes training and backup support, which the previous Government never intended to put in place. It is a marvellous initiative, and I was very pleased to bring it about and launch it in the electorate of the member for Girrawheen.
Mr Barnett: The minister should not come into the place and tell these untruths. Mr CARPENTER: I do not make a habit of it. Everybody in the Chamber knows that no funds were set aside by the previous Government for the provision of laptops. The present Government has provided teachers with access to laptops at $5 a week, or thereabouts, after tax. This is very affordable. The first 1 000 of them will be made available this calendar year. It was always impossible to do what the previous Government promised; that is, provide that access for all teachers in Western Australia in this calendar year. That was never going to be done. Mr McGinty: Particularly if there is no money. Mr CARPENTER: Without the money, the teachers would have had to pay for the whole lot. By the end of next year, all teachers in Western Australian government schools will be provided with access to laptops at that affordable price of around $5 a week after tax. The anticipation is that 14 000 to 15 000 teachers will take up that option. It is a very significant step, probably one of the most significant steps in developing resources for schoolteachers and modern pedagogy, that any Western Australian Government has provided. With the computers goes training and backup support, which the previous Government never intended to put in place. It is a marvellous initiative, and I was very pleased to bring it about and launch it in the electorate of the member for Girrawheen.
Mr CARPENTER: I do not make a habit of it. Everybody in the Chamber knows that no funds were set aside by the previous Government for the provision of laptops. The present Government has provided teachers with access to laptops at $5 a week, or thereabouts, after tax. This is very affordable. The first 1 000 of them will be made available this calendar year. It was always impossible to do what the previous Government promised; that is, provide that access for all teachers in Western Australia in this calendar year. That was never going to be done. Mr McGinty: Particularly if there is no money. Mr CARPENTER: Without the money, the teachers would have had to pay for the whole lot. By the end of next year, all teachers in Western Australian government schools will be provided with access to laptops at that affordable price of around $5 a week after tax. The anticipation is that 14 000 to 15 000 teachers will take up that option. It is a very significant step, probably one of the most significant steps in developing resources for schoolteachers and modern pedagogy, that any Western Australian Government has provided. With the computers goes training and backup support, which the previous Government never intended to put in place. It is a marvellous initiative, and I was very pleased to bring it about and launch it in the electorate of the member for Girrawheen.
Mr McGinty: Particularly if there is no money. Mr CARPENTER: Without the money, the teachers would have had to pay for the whole lot. By the end of next year, all teachers in Western Australian government schools will be provided with access to laptops at that affordable price of around $5 a week after tax. The anticipation is that 14 000 to 15 000 teachers will take up that option. It is a very significant step, probably one of the most significant steps in developing resources for schoolteachers and modern pedagogy, that any Western Australian Government has provided. With the computers goes training and backup support, which the previous Government never intended to put in place. It is a marvellous initiative, and I was very pleased to bring it about and launch it in the electorate of the member for Girrawheen.
Mr CARPENTER: Without the money, the teachers would have had to pay for the whole lot. By the end of next year, all teachers in Western Australian government schools will be provided with access to laptops at that affordable price of around $5 a week after tax. The anticipation is that 14 000 to 15 000 teachers will take up that option. It is a very significant step, probably one of the most significant steps in developing resources for schoolteachers and modern pedagogy, that any Western Australian Government has provided. With the computers goes training and backup support, which the previous Government never intended to put in place. It is a marvellous initiative, and I was very pleased to bring it about and launch it in the electorate of the member for Girrawheen.
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