❓ Minister Carpenter avoids directly answering a question about the Opposition's school fees policy, instead attacking the Opposition's internal divisions and policy inconsistencies on the issue.
AnsweredQoN 801Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Is the minister aware of the Opposition’s apparent change of policy on school fees? Mr CARPENTER
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question. Before I directly answer it, I congratulate the member on her interest in education in her electorate. I have been to her electorate on numerous occasions. She is a very hardworking member and, politics aside, she is doing a fantastic job in her electorate. Mr Johnson: Politics aside! Mr CARPENTER: I am quite prepared to search high and low to try to find one member on the other side who is also doing a good job. It is amazing how quickly the ground shifts in politics. On this day last week in this Chamber I was on my feet trying to get the Leader of the Opposition to say whether he supported the comments made by his deputy, the member for Mitchell, about whether parents in his electorate, or parents generally, should pay school fees. Everybody now knows that the member for Mitchell has set out deliberately to undermine the strength of the schools in his electorate to make a political point. It is one of the most disgraceful things that anybody in this Parliament has ever done. He has been bagged all over his electorate. Last week I read some of the letters written about him. People are writing to newspapers in his electorate and to him, and they are attacking him for his totally reckless approach to this policy issue. I asked the Leader of the Opposition last week whether he supported his deputy, and the Leader of the Opposition said - Mrs Edwardes: What are you quoting from? Mr CARPENTER: The Hansard . He said “fees should be compulsory”. That is his view. That is the point of difference between members on this side, who do not want to punish people who cannot pay, and members on the other side, who believe that education is exclusively for the rich and the lucky. That is what they believe, and that is the way they ran education. However, in the interim, in trying to wriggle off the hook of the community outrage that he has generated, the member for Mitchell has now been quoted in his local newspaper as saying that public school education should be free. This member of Parliament is prepared to say or do anything to try to win a political vote in his electorate. I have said that before about that member, and his performance on superannuation backs me up. He promised to drop his superannuation, but as soon as the election was over he changed his position on that. Point of Order Mr BARRON-SULLIVAN: I ask that the minister table that document. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr CARPENTER: I am happy to do so. It is from the South Western Times . I will explain the member for Mitchell’s position on superannuation. He got into a difficult position because of his outrageous behaviour over school fees. Now he is advocating that schooling should be free. The man sitting next to him, who introduced compulsory school fees into this State, said again last week that school fees should be compulsory. I want to ask one other question: what is the view of the shadow Minister for Education? He is the poor bloke over there who does not get a look-in on education matters because the Leader of the Opposition and his deputy are running the debate - the disagreement between them. What is his view? The Opposition is a disorganised, dysfunctional rabble. [See paper No 1312.]
Mr CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for the question. Before I directly answer it, I congratulate the member on her interest in education in her electorate. I have been to her electorate on numerous occasions. She is a very hardworking member and, politics aside, she is doing a fantastic job in her electorate. Mr Johnson: Politics aside! Mr CARPENTER: I am quite prepared to search high and low to try to find one member on the other side who is also doing a good job. It is amazing how quickly the ground shifts in politics. On this day last week in this Chamber I was on my feet trying to get the Leader of the Opposition to say whether he supported the comments made by his deputy, the member for Mitchell, about whether parents in his electorate, or parents generally, should pay school fees. Everybody now knows that the member for Mitchell has set out deliberately to undermine the strength of the schools in his electorate to make a political point. It is one of the most disgraceful things that anybody in this Parliament has ever done. He has been bagged all over his electorate. Last week I read some of the letters written about him. People are writing to newspapers in his electorate and to him, and they are attacking him for his totally reckless approach to this policy issue. I asked the Leader of the Opposition last week whether he supported his deputy, and the Leader of the Opposition said - Mrs Edwardes: What are you quoting from? Mr CARPENTER: The Hansard . He said “fees should be compulsory”. That is his view. That is the point of difference between members on this side, who do not want to punish people who cannot pay, and members on the other side, who believe that education is exclusively for the rich and the lucky. That is what they believe, and that is the way they ran education. However, in the interim, in trying to wriggle off the hook of the community outrage that he has generated, the member for Mitchell has now been quoted in his local newspaper as saying that public school education should be free. This member of Parliament is prepared to say or do anything to try to win a political vote in his electorate. I have said that before about that member, and his performance on superannuation backs me up. He promised to drop his superannuation, but as soon as the election was over he changed his position on that. Point of Order Mr BARRON-SULLIVAN: I ask that the minister table that document. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr CARPENTER: I am happy to do so. It is from the South Western Times . I will explain the member for Mitchell’s position on superannuation. He got into a difficult position because of his outrageous behaviour over school fees. Now he is advocating that schooling should be free. The man sitting next to him, who introduced compulsory school fees into this State, said again last week that school fees should be compulsory. I want to ask one other question: what is the view of the shadow Minister for Education? He is the poor bloke over there who does not get a look-in on education matters because the Leader of the Opposition and his deputy are running the debate - the disagreement between them. What is his view? The Opposition is a disorganised, dysfunctional rabble. [See paper No 1312.]
I thank the member for the question. Before I directly answer it, I congratulate the member on her interest in education in her electorate. I have been to her electorate on numerous occasions. She is a very hardworking member and, politics aside, she is doing a fantastic job in her electorate. Mr Johnson: Politics aside! Mr CARPENTER: I am quite prepared to search high and low to try to find one member on the other side who is also doing a good job. It is amazing how quickly the ground shifts in politics. On this day last week in this Chamber I was on my feet trying to get the Leader of the Opposition to say whether he supported the comments made by his deputy, the member for Mitchell, about whether parents in his electorate, or parents generally, should pay school fees. Everybody now knows that the member for Mitchell has set out deliberately to undermine the strength of the schools in his electorate to make a political point. It is one of the most disgraceful things that anybody in this Parliament has ever done. He has been bagged all over his electorate. Last week I read some of the letters written about him. People are writing to newspapers in his electorate and to him, and they are attacking him for his totally reckless approach to this policy issue. I asked the Leader of the Opposition last week whether he supported his deputy, and the Leader of the Opposition said - Mrs Edwardes: What are you quoting from? Mr CARPENTER: The Hansard . He said “fees should be compulsory”. That is his view. That is the point of difference between members on this side, who do not want to punish people who cannot pay, and members on the other side, who believe that education is exclusively for the rich and the lucky. That is what they believe, and that is the way they ran education. However, in the interim, in trying to wriggle off the hook of the community outrage that he has generated, the member for Mitchell has now been quoted in his local newspaper as saying that public school education should be free. This member of Parliament is prepared to say or do anything to try to win a political vote in his electorate. I have said that before about that member, and his performance on superannuation backs me up. He promised to drop his superannuation, but as soon as the election was over he changed his position on that. Point of Order Mr BARRON-SULLIVAN: I ask that the minister table that document. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr CARPENTER: I am happy to do so. It is from the South Western Times . I will explain the member for Mitchell’s position on superannuation. He got into a difficult position because of his outrageous behaviour over school fees. Now he is advocating that schooling should be free. The man sitting next to him, who introduced compulsory school fees into this State, said again last week that school fees should be compulsory. I want to ask one other question: what is the view of the shadow Minister for Education? He is the poor bloke over there who does not get a look-in on education matters because the Leader of the Opposition and his deputy are running the debate - the disagreement between them. What is his view? The Opposition is a disorganised, dysfunctional rabble. [See paper No 1312.]
Mr Johnson: Politics aside! Mr CARPENTER: I am quite prepared to search high and low to try to find one member on the other side who is also doing a good job. It is amazing how quickly the ground shifts in politics. On this day last week in this Chamber I was on my feet trying to get the Leader of the Opposition to say whether he supported the comments made by his deputy, the member for Mitchell, about whether parents in his electorate, or parents generally, should pay school fees. Everybody now knows that the member for Mitchell has set out deliberately to undermine the strength of the schools in his electorate to make a political point. It is one of the most disgraceful things that anybody in this Parliament has ever done. He has been bagged all over his electorate. Last week I read some of the letters written about him. People are writing to newspapers in his electorate and to him, and they are attacking him for his totally reckless approach to this policy issue. I asked the Leader of the Opposition last week whether he supported his deputy, and the Leader of the Opposition said - Mrs Edwardes: What are you quoting from? Mr CARPENTER: The Hansard . He said “fees should be compulsory”. That is his view. That is the point of difference between members on this side, who do not want to punish people who cannot pay, and members on the other side, who believe that education is exclusively for the rich and the lucky. That is what they believe, and that is the way they ran education. However, in the interim, in trying to wriggle off the hook of the community outrage that he has generated, the member for Mitchell has now been quoted in his local newspaper as saying that public school education should be free. This member of Parliament is prepared to say or do anything to try to win a political vote in his electorate. I have said that before about that member, and his performance on superannuation backs me up. He promised to drop his superannuation, but as soon as the election was over he changed his position on that. Point of Order Mr BARRON-SULLIVAN: I ask that the minister table that document. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr CARPENTER: I am happy to do so. It is from the South Western Times . I will explain the member for Mitchell’s position on superannuation. He got into a difficult position because of his outrageous behaviour over school fees. Now he is advocating that schooling should be free. The man sitting next to him, who introduced compulsory school fees into this State, said again last week that school fees should be compulsory. I want to ask one other question: what is the view of the shadow Minister for Education? He is the poor bloke over there who does not get a look-in on education matters because the Leader of the Opposition and his deputy are running the debate - the disagreement between them. What is his view? The Opposition is a disorganised, dysfunctional rabble. [See paper No 1312.]
Mr CARPENTER: I am quite prepared to search high and low to try to find one member on the other side who is also doing a good job. It is amazing how quickly the ground shifts in politics. On this day last week in this Chamber I was on my feet trying to get the Leader of the Opposition to say whether he supported the comments made by his deputy, the member for Mitchell, about whether parents in his electorate, or parents generally, should pay school fees. Everybody now knows that the member for Mitchell has set out deliberately to undermine the strength of the schools in his electorate to make a political point. It is one of the most disgraceful things that anybody in this Parliament has ever done. He has been bagged all over his electorate. Last week I read some of the letters written about him. People are writing to newspapers in his electorate and to him, and they are attacking him for his totally reckless approach to this policy issue. I asked the Leader of the Opposition last week whether he supported his deputy, and the Leader of the Opposition said - Mrs Edwardes: What are you quoting from? Mr CARPENTER: The Hansard . He said “fees should be compulsory”. That is his view. That is the point of difference between members on this side, who do not want to punish people who cannot pay, and members on the other side, who believe that education is exclusively for the rich and the lucky. That is what they believe, and that is the way they ran education. However, in the interim, in trying to wriggle off the hook of the community outrage that he has generated, the member for Mitchell has now been quoted in his local newspaper as saying that public school education should be free. This member of Parliament is prepared to say or do anything to try to win a political vote in his electorate. I have said that before about that member, and his performance on superannuation backs me up. He promised to drop his superannuation, but as soon as the election was over he changed his position on that. Point of Order Mr BARRON-SULLIVAN: I ask that the minister table that document. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr CARPENTER: I am happy to do so. It is from the South Western Times . I will explain the member for Mitchell’s position on superannuation. He got into a difficult position because of his outrageous behaviour over school fees. Now he is advocating that schooling should be free. The man sitting next to him, who introduced compulsory school fees into this State, said again last week that school fees should be compulsory. I want to ask one other question: what is the view of the shadow Minister for Education? He is the poor bloke over there who does not get a look-in on education matters because the Leader of the Opposition and his deputy are running the debate - the disagreement between them. What is his view? The Opposition is a disorganised, dysfunctional rabble. [See paper No 1312.]
It is amazing how quickly the ground shifts in politics. On this day last week in this Chamber I was on my feet trying to get the Leader of the Opposition to say whether he supported the comments made by his deputy, the member for Mitchell, about whether parents in his electorate, or parents generally, should pay school fees. Everybody now knows that the member for Mitchell has set out deliberately to undermine the strength of the schools in his electorate to make a political point. It is one of the most disgraceful things that anybody in this Parliament has ever done. He has been bagged all over his electorate. Last week I read some of the letters written about him. People are writing to newspapers in his electorate and to him, and they are attacking him for his totally reckless approach to this policy issue. I asked the Leader of the Opposition last week whether he supported his deputy, and the Leader of the Opposition said - Mrs Edwardes: What are you quoting from? Mr CARPENTER: The Hansard . He said “fees should be compulsory”. That is his view. That is the point of difference between members on this side, who do not want to punish people who cannot pay, and members on the other side, who believe that education is exclusively for the rich and the lucky. That is what they believe, and that is the way they ran education. However, in the interim, in trying to wriggle off the hook of the community outrage that he has generated, the member for Mitchell has now been quoted in his local newspaper as saying that public school education should be free. This member of Parliament is prepared to say or do anything to try to win a political vote in his electorate. I have said that before about that member, and his performance on superannuation backs me up. He promised to drop his superannuation, but as soon as the election was over he changed his position on that. Point of Order Mr BARRON-SULLIVAN: I ask that the minister table that document. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr CARPENTER: I am happy to do so. It is from the South Western Times . I will explain the member for Mitchell’s position on superannuation. He got into a difficult position because of his outrageous behaviour over school fees. Now he is advocating that schooling should be free. The man sitting next to him, who introduced compulsory school fees into this State, said again last week that school fees should be compulsory. I want to ask one other question: what is the view of the shadow Minister for Education? He is the poor bloke over there who does not get a look-in on education matters because the Leader of the Opposition and his deputy are running the debate - the disagreement between them. What is his view? The Opposition is a disorganised, dysfunctional rabble. [See paper No 1312.]
Mrs Edwardes: What are you quoting from? Mr CARPENTER: The Hansard . He said “fees should be compulsory”. That is his view. That is the point of difference between members on this side, who do not want to punish people who cannot pay, and members on the other side, who believe that education is exclusively for the rich and the lucky. That is what they believe, and that is the way they ran education. However, in the interim, in trying to wriggle off the hook of the community outrage that he has generated, the member for Mitchell has now been quoted in his local newspaper as saying that public school education should be free. This member of Parliament is prepared to say or do anything to try to win a political vote in his electorate. I have said that before about that member, and his performance on superannuation backs me up. He promised to drop his superannuation, but as soon as the election was over he changed his position on that. Point of Order Mr BARRON-SULLIVAN: I ask that the minister table that document. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr CARPENTER: I am happy to do so. It is from the South Western Times . I will explain the member for Mitchell’s position on superannuation. He got into a difficult position because of his outrageous behaviour over school fees. Now he is advocating that schooling should be free. The man sitting next to him, who introduced compulsory school fees into this State, said again last week that school fees should be compulsory. I want to ask one other question: what is the view of the shadow Minister for Education? He is the poor bloke over there who does not get a look-in on education matters because the Leader of the Opposition and his deputy are running the debate - the disagreement between them. What is his view? The Opposition is a disorganised, dysfunctional rabble. [See paper No 1312.]
Mr CARPENTER: The Hansard . He said “fees should be compulsory”. That is his view. That is the point of difference between members on this side, who do not want to punish people who cannot pay, and members on the other side, who believe that education is exclusively for the rich and the lucky. That is what they believe, and that is the way they ran education. However, in the interim, in trying to wriggle off the hook of the community outrage that he has generated, the member for Mitchell has now been quoted in his local newspaper as saying that public school education should be free. This member of Parliament is prepared to say or do anything to try to win a political vote in his electorate. I have said that before about that member, and his performance on superannuation backs me up. He promised to drop his superannuation, but as soon as the election was over he changed his position on that. Point of Order Mr BARRON-SULLIVAN: I ask that the minister table that document. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr CARPENTER: I am happy to do so. It is from the South Western Times . I will explain the member for Mitchell’s position on superannuation. He got into a difficult position because of his outrageous behaviour over school fees. Now he is advocating that schooling should be free. The man sitting next to him, who introduced compulsory school fees into this State, said again last week that school fees should be compulsory. I want to ask one other question: what is the view of the shadow Minister for Education? He is the poor bloke over there who does not get a look-in on education matters because the Leader of the Opposition and his deputy are running the debate - the disagreement between them. What is his view? The Opposition is a disorganised, dysfunctional rabble. [See paper No 1312.]
I want to ask one other question: what is the view of the shadow Minister for Education? He is the poor bloke over there who does not get a look-in on education matters because the Leader of the Opposition and his deputy are running the debate - the disagreement between them. What is his view? The Opposition is a disorganised, dysfunctional rabble. [See paper No 1312.]
[See paper No 1312.]
Mr CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for the question. Before I directly answer it, I congratulate the member on her interest in education in her electorate. I have been to her electorate on numerous occasions. She is a very hardworking member and, politics aside, she is doing a fantastic job in her electorate. Mr Johnson: Politics aside! Mr CARPENTER: I am quite prepared to search high and low to try to find one member on the other side who is also doing a good job. It is amazing how quickly the ground shifts in politics. On this day last week in this Chamber I was on my feet trying to get the Leader of the Opposition to say whether he supported the comments made by his deputy, the member for Mitchell, about whether parents in his electorate, or parents generally, should pay school fees. Everybody now knows that the member for Mitchell has set out deliberately to undermine the strength of the schools in his electorate to make a political point. It is one of the most disgraceful things that anybody in this Parliament has ever done. He has been bagged all over his electorate. Last week I read some of the letters written about him. People are writing to newspapers in his electorate and to him, and they are attacking him for his totally reckless approach to this policy issue. I asked the Leader of the Opposition last week whether he supported his deputy, and the Leader of the Opposition said - Mrs Edwardes: What are you quoting from? Mr CARPENTER: The Hansard . He said “fees should be compulsory”. That is his view. That is the point of difference between members on this side, who do not want to punish people who cannot pay, and members on the other side, who believe that education is exclusively for the rich and the lucky. That is what they believe, and that is the way they ran education. However, in the interim, in trying to wriggle off the hook of the community outrage that he has generated, the member for Mitchell has now been quoted in his local newspaper as saying that public school education should be free. This member of Parliament is prepared to say or do anything to try to win a political vote in his electorate. I have said that before about that member, and his performance on superannuation backs me up. He promised to drop his superannuation, but as soon as the election was over he changed his position on that. Point of Order Mr BARRON-SULLIVAN: I ask that the minister table that document. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr CARPENTER: I am happy to do so. It is from the South Western Times . I will explain the member for Mitchell’s position on superannuation. He got into a difficult position because of his outrageous behaviour over school fees. Now he is advocating that schooling should be free. The man sitting next to him, who introduced compulsory school fees into this State, said again last week that school fees should be compulsory. I want to ask one other question: what is the view of the shadow Minister for Education? He is the poor bloke over there who does not get a look-in on education matters because the Leader of the Opposition and his deputy are running the debate - the disagreement between them. What is his view? The Opposition is a disorganised, dysfunctional rabble. [See paper No 1312.]
I thank the member for the question. Before I directly answer it, I congratulate the member on her interest in education in her electorate. I have been to her electorate on numerous occasions. She is a very hardworking member and, politics aside, she is doing a fantastic job in her electorate. Mr Johnson: Politics aside! Mr CARPENTER: I am quite prepared to search high and low to try to find one member on the other side who is also doing a good job. It is amazing how quickly the ground shifts in politics. On this day last week in this Chamber I was on my feet trying to get the Leader of the Opposition to say whether he supported the comments made by his deputy, the member for Mitchell, about whether parents in his electorate, or parents generally, should pay school fees. Everybody now knows that the member for Mitchell has set out deliberately to undermine the strength of the schools in his electorate to make a political point. It is one of the most disgraceful things that anybody in this Parliament has ever done. He has been bagged all over his electorate. Last week I read some of the letters written about him. People are writing to newspapers in his electorate and to him, and they are attacking him for his totally reckless approach to this policy issue. I asked the Leader of the Opposition last week whether he supported his deputy, and the Leader of the Opposition said - Mrs Edwardes: What are you quoting from? Mr CARPENTER: The Hansard . He said “fees should be compulsory”. That is his view. That is the point of difference between members on this side, who do not want to punish people who cannot pay, and members on the other side, who believe that education is exclusively for the rich and the lucky. That is what they believe, and that is the way they ran education. However, in the interim, in trying to wriggle off the hook of the community outrage that he has generated, the member for Mitchell has now been quoted in his local newspaper as saying that public school education should be free. This member of Parliament is prepared to say or do anything to try to win a political vote in his electorate. I have said that before about that member, and his performance on superannuation backs me up. He promised to drop his superannuation, but as soon as the election was over he changed his position on that. Point of Order Mr BARRON-SULLIVAN: I ask that the minister table that document. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr CARPENTER: I am happy to do so. It is from the South Western Times . I will explain the member for Mitchell’s position on superannuation. He got into a difficult position because of his outrageous behaviour over school fees. Now he is advocating that schooling should be free. The man sitting next to him, who introduced compulsory school fees into this State, said again last week that school fees should be compulsory. I want to ask one other question: what is the view of the shadow Minister for Education? He is the poor bloke over there who does not get a look-in on education matters because the Leader of the Opposition and his deputy are running the debate - the disagreement between them. What is his view? The Opposition is a disorganised, dysfunctional rabble. [See paper No 1312.]
Mr Johnson: Politics aside! Mr CARPENTER: I am quite prepared to search high and low to try to find one member on the other side who is also doing a good job. It is amazing how quickly the ground shifts in politics. On this day last week in this Chamber I was on my feet trying to get the Leader of the Opposition to say whether he supported the comments made by his deputy, the member for Mitchell, about whether parents in his electorate, or parents generally, should pay school fees. Everybody now knows that the member for Mitchell has set out deliberately to undermine the strength of the schools in his electorate to make a political point. It is one of the most disgraceful things that anybody in this Parliament has ever done. He has been bagged all over his electorate. Last week I read some of the letters written about him. People are writing to newspapers in his electorate and to him, and they are attacking him for his totally reckless approach to this policy issue. I asked the Leader of the Opposition last week whether he supported his deputy, and the Leader of the Opposition said - Mrs Edwardes: What are you quoting from? Mr CARPENTER: The Hansard . He said “fees should be compulsory”. That is his view. That is the point of difference between members on this side, who do not want to punish people who cannot pay, and members on the other side, who believe that education is exclusively for the rich and the lucky. That is what they believe, and that is the way they ran education. However, in the interim, in trying to wriggle off the hook of the community outrage that he has generated, the member for Mitchell has now been quoted in his local newspaper as saying that public school education should be free. This member of Parliament is prepared to say or do anything to try to win a political vote in his electorate. I have said that before about that member, and his performance on superannuation backs me up. He promised to drop his superannuation, but as soon as the election was over he changed his position on that. Point of Order Mr BARRON-SULLIVAN: I ask that the minister table that document. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr CARPENTER: I am happy to do so. It is from the South Western Times . I will explain the member for Mitchell’s position on superannuation. He got into a difficult position because of his outrageous behaviour over school fees. Now he is advocating that schooling should be free. The man sitting next to him, who introduced compulsory school fees into this State, said again last week that school fees should be compulsory. I want to ask one other question: what is the view of the shadow Minister for Education? He is the poor bloke over there who does not get a look-in on education matters because the Leader of the Opposition and his deputy are running the debate - the disagreement between them. What is his view? The Opposition is a disorganised, dysfunctional rabble. [See paper No 1312.]
Mr CARPENTER: I am quite prepared to search high and low to try to find one member on the other side who is also doing a good job. It is amazing how quickly the ground shifts in politics. On this day last week in this Chamber I was on my feet trying to get the Leader of the Opposition to say whether he supported the comments made by his deputy, the member for Mitchell, about whether parents in his electorate, or parents generally, should pay school fees. Everybody now knows that the member for Mitchell has set out deliberately to undermine the strength of the schools in his electorate to make a political point. It is one of the most disgraceful things that anybody in this Parliament has ever done. He has been bagged all over his electorate. Last week I read some of the letters written about him. People are writing to newspapers in his electorate and to him, and they are attacking him for his totally reckless approach to this policy issue. I asked the Leader of the Opposition last week whether he supported his deputy, and the Leader of the Opposition said - Mrs Edwardes: What are you quoting from? Mr CARPENTER: The Hansard . He said “fees should be compulsory”. That is his view. That is the point of difference between members on this side, who do not want to punish people who cannot pay, and members on the other side, who believe that education is exclusively for the rich and the lucky. That is what they believe, and that is the way they ran education. However, in the interim, in trying to wriggle off the hook of the community outrage that he has generated, the member for Mitchell has now been quoted in his local newspaper as saying that public school education should be free. This member of Parliament is prepared to say or do anything to try to win a political vote in his electorate. I have said that before about that member, and his performance on superannuation backs me up. He promised to drop his superannuation, but as soon as the election was over he changed his position on that. Point of Order Mr BARRON-SULLIVAN: I ask that the minister table that document. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr CARPENTER: I am happy to do so. It is from the South Western Times . I will explain the member for Mitchell’s position on superannuation. He got into a difficult position because of his outrageous behaviour over school fees. Now he is advocating that schooling should be free. The man sitting next to him, who introduced compulsory school fees into this State, said again last week that school fees should be compulsory. I want to ask one other question: what is the view of the shadow Minister for Education? He is the poor bloke over there who does not get a look-in on education matters because the Leader of the Opposition and his deputy are running the debate - the disagreement between them. What is his view? The Opposition is a disorganised, dysfunctional rabble. [See paper No 1312.]
It is amazing how quickly the ground shifts in politics. On this day last week in this Chamber I was on my feet trying to get the Leader of the Opposition to say whether he supported the comments made by his deputy, the member for Mitchell, about whether parents in his electorate, or parents generally, should pay school fees. Everybody now knows that the member for Mitchell has set out deliberately to undermine the strength of the schools in his electorate to make a political point. It is one of the most disgraceful things that anybody in this Parliament has ever done. He has been bagged all over his electorate. Last week I read some of the letters written about him. People are writing to newspapers in his electorate and to him, and they are attacking him for his totally reckless approach to this policy issue. I asked the Leader of the Opposition last week whether he supported his deputy, and the Leader of the Opposition said - Mrs Edwardes: What are you quoting from? Mr CARPENTER: The Hansard . He said “fees should be compulsory”. That is his view. That is the point of difference between members on this side, who do not want to punish people who cannot pay, and members on the other side, who believe that education is exclusively for the rich and the lucky. That is what they believe, and that is the way they ran education. However, in the interim, in trying to wriggle off the hook of the community outrage that he has generated, the member for Mitchell has now been quoted in his local newspaper as saying that public school education should be free. This member of Parliament is prepared to say or do anything to try to win a political vote in his electorate. I have said that before about that member, and his performance on superannuation backs me up. He promised to drop his superannuation, but as soon as the election was over he changed his position on that. Point of Order Mr BARRON-SULLIVAN: I ask that the minister table that document. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr CARPENTER: I am happy to do so. It is from the South Western Times . I will explain the member for Mitchell’s position on superannuation. He got into a difficult position because of his outrageous behaviour over school fees. Now he is advocating that schooling should be free. The man sitting next to him, who introduced compulsory school fees into this State, said again last week that school fees should be compulsory. I want to ask one other question: what is the view of the shadow Minister for Education? He is the poor bloke over there who does not get a look-in on education matters because the Leader of the Opposition and his deputy are running the debate - the disagreement between them. What is his view? The Opposition is a disorganised, dysfunctional rabble. [See paper No 1312.]
Mrs Edwardes: What are you quoting from? Mr CARPENTER: The Hansard . He said “fees should be compulsory”. That is his view. That is the point of difference between members on this side, who do not want to punish people who cannot pay, and members on the other side, who believe that education is exclusively for the rich and the lucky. That is what they believe, and that is the way they ran education. However, in the interim, in trying to wriggle off the hook of the community outrage that he has generated, the member for Mitchell has now been quoted in his local newspaper as saying that public school education should be free. This member of Parliament is prepared to say or do anything to try to win a political vote in his electorate. I have said that before about that member, and his performance on superannuation backs me up. He promised to drop his superannuation, but as soon as the election was over he changed his position on that. Point of Order Mr BARRON-SULLIVAN: I ask that the minister table that document. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr CARPENTER: I am happy to do so. It is from the South Western Times . I will explain the member for Mitchell’s position on superannuation. He got into a difficult position because of his outrageous behaviour over school fees. Now he is advocating that schooling should be free. The man sitting next to him, who introduced compulsory school fees into this State, said again last week that school fees should be compulsory. I want to ask one other question: what is the view of the shadow Minister for Education? He is the poor bloke over there who does not get a look-in on education matters because the Leader of the Opposition and his deputy are running the debate - the disagreement between them. What is his view? The Opposition is a disorganised, dysfunctional rabble. [See paper No 1312.]
Mr CARPENTER: The Hansard . He said “fees should be compulsory”. That is his view. That is the point of difference between members on this side, who do not want to punish people who cannot pay, and members on the other side, who believe that education is exclusively for the rich and the lucky. That is what they believe, and that is the way they ran education. However, in the interim, in trying to wriggle off the hook of the community outrage that he has generated, the member for Mitchell has now been quoted in his local newspaper as saying that public school education should be free. This member of Parliament is prepared to say or do anything to try to win a political vote in his electorate. I have said that before about that member, and his performance on superannuation backs me up. He promised to drop his superannuation, but as soon as the election was over he changed his position on that. Point of Order Mr BARRON-SULLIVAN: I ask that the minister table that document. Questions without Notice Resumed Mr CARPENTER: I am happy to do so. It is from the South Western Times . I will explain the member for Mitchell’s position on superannuation. He got into a difficult position because of his outrageous behaviour over school fees. Now he is advocating that schooling should be free. The man sitting next to him, who introduced compulsory school fees into this State, said again last week that school fees should be compulsory. I want to ask one other question: what is the view of the shadow Minister for Education? He is the poor bloke over there who does not get a look-in on education matters because the Leader of the Opposition and his deputy are running the debate - the disagreement between them. What is his view? The Opposition is a disorganised, dysfunctional rabble. [See paper No 1312.]
I want to ask one other question: what is the view of the shadow Minister for Education? He is the poor bloke over there who does not get a look-in on education matters because the Leader of the Opposition and his deputy are running the debate - the disagreement between them. What is his view? The Opposition is a disorganised, dysfunctional rabble. [See paper No 1312.]
[See paper No 1312.]
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