Opposition Leader accuses the government of taxing teachers through a long service leave levy. The Premier defends the government's increased education funding and accuses the opposition of hypocrisy and resisting reform.

AnsweredQoN 499Legislative Assembly
Asked
17 September 2013
Portfolio
Premier

QuestionView source ↗

SCHOOL STAFF — LONG SERVICE LEAVE LEVY
499. Mr M. McGOWAN to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question. Is not ripping $17 million
out of schools just a tax on teachers and education workers across this state?

AnswerView source ↗

Is not putting $300 million into schools absolutely
fantastic? That is a 55 per cent increase in funding compared with the record
of the former Labor government. When the Leader of the Opposition was the
Minister for Education, he actually cut funding for the education budget!
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Girrawheen, I call you to order for the second time.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
There are adjustments and there have been some cuts in some areas, but overall
the education budget will go up by $300 million. For once we have a government
in this state that is prepared to actually reallocate teaching and financial
resources to where the need is greatest. I thought the Labor Party would have
supported that, but it has not. All this tells us is that the Labor Party is
not up for reform. It is not up to it. The Leader of the Opposition could not
do it when he was education minister and now he sits opposite bleating!

Explore WA Government Data

Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.

Explore more