❓ Mr. Rundle questions the Minister for Education about the Student Assistance Payment, including application rates, data release, and accessibility. The Minister defends the program, highlighting its success and criticising the opposition's stance.
AnsweredQoN 452Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
STUDENT ASSISTANCE
PAYMENT
452. Mr P.J. RUNDLE to the Minister for Education:
My last question is to the Minister
for Education. I note that the student assistance payment applications close
next week and the reports that up to 30 to 40 per cent of families have not
applied for it yet.
(1) Will the
government consider extending the application timeframe and provide a targeted
campaign to the regions where the uptake has been lower to encourage them to
access the payment rather than let the money return to the consolidated
revenue?
(2) Why is the
minister refusing to release the breakdown of the payments by school to the
media and non-Labor members of Parliament?
(3) Finally, does
the minister agree with the comments made by the member for Kalgoorlie that the
payments have been difficult to access in some ways?
PAYMENT
452. Mr P.J. RUNDLE to the Minister for Education:
My last question is to the Minister
for Education. I note that the student assistance payment applications close
next week and the reports that up to 30 to 40 per cent of families have not
applied for it yet.
(1) Will the
government consider extending the application timeframe and provide a targeted
campaign to the regions where the uptake has been lower to encourage them to
access the payment rather than let the money return to the consolidated
revenue?
(2) Why is the
minister refusing to release the breakdown of the payments by school to the
media and non-Labor members of Parliament?
(3) Finally, does
the minister agree with the comments made by the member for Kalgoorlie that the
payments have been difficult to access in some ways?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3) I
am glad I was asked this question because it allows me to reiterate what a great
program this is. As of 18 June, over $67 million has been paid out to families
in Western Australia—over $67 million. This is a program that the
opposition opposes. It is quite intriguing that the member who has been at the
frontline of opposing it keeps asking me questions about it in Parliament. I promised
and even said to the member that I would go out to those schools with him. Let
us go to them next week and help those who have not applied for the payment to
apply. I am interested in ensuring that as many people as possible who have not
yet applied will apply by the deadline, which is next Friday. That has been
well known. People have had a whole term to apply. We, on this side, have been
out there championing this program. All members opposite have done is bag it and criticise it. As I said, if the member
changes his mind and wants to promote it next week, let me know and I will
go out and help the member.
As I said, over $67 million has gone
into the bank accounts of Western Australian families. It would be zero under the opposition because it opposes it.
It opposed us giving each secondary student $250 and e ach primary school
student $150. It is a brilliant program. We are proud of it, as Minister for
Education I am proud of it, and we will continue to champion it for the next
seven days.
am glad I was asked this question because it allows me to reiterate what a great
program this is. As of 18 June, over $67 million has been paid out to families
in Western Australia—over $67 million. This is a program that the
opposition opposes. It is quite intriguing that the member who has been at the
frontline of opposing it keeps asking me questions about it in Parliament. I promised
and even said to the member that I would go out to those schools with him. Let
us go to them next week and help those who have not applied for the payment to
apply. I am interested in ensuring that as many people as possible who have not
yet applied will apply by the deadline, which is next Friday. That has been
well known. People have had a whole term to apply. We, on this side, have been
out there championing this program. All members opposite have done is bag it and criticise it. As I said, if the member
changes his mind and wants to promote it next week, let me know and I will
go out and help the member.
As I said, over $67 million has gone
into the bank accounts of Western Australian families. It would be zero under the opposition because it opposes it.
It opposed us giving each secondary student $250 and e ach primary school
student $150. It is a brilliant program. We are proud of it, as Minister for
Education I am proud of it, and we will continue to champion it for the next
seven days.
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