❓ Mr. Healy asks about the WA student assistance payment and other cost-of-living initiatives for school supplies. The Minister responds by highlighting the program's success, criticising the opposition's negativity, and detailing how unclaimed funds are being used to further assist families.
AnsweredQoN 479Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
COST
OF LIVING — EDUCATION
479. Mr T.J. HEALY to the Minister for Education:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's delivery of
cost-of-living relief to Western Australian families.
(1) Can the minister further outline to the house how
the WA student assistance payment has provided financial assistance to
families across the state, regardless of where they live?
(2) Can the
minister further advise the house how other cost-of-living initiatives are
being delivered to assist parents with the cost of school supplies?
OF LIVING — EDUCATION
479. Mr T.J. HEALY to the Minister for Education:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's delivery of
cost-of-living relief to Western Australian families.
(1) Can the minister further outline to the house how
the WA student assistance payment has provided financial assistance to
families across the state, regardless of where they live?
(2) Can the
minister further advise the house how other cost-of-living initiatives are
being delivered to assist parents with the cost of school supplies?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2)
I thank the member for Southern River for his question, his support of the WA
student assistance payment and his leadership in his community in ensuring that
his local community members were able to benefit from this government's
program. The Western Australian student assistance payment program distributed
more than $75 million to provide almost 400 000 students and their families
with important cost-of-living support. It is outstanding. Despite the
negativity of the opposition, who were negative from day one—within the
first hour of the announcement, the member for Roe was out there being negative—we
obtained an 80 per cent success rate. That is 80 per cent of eligible
recipients enrolled in WA schools receiving a payment. This can be put down to
the government's extensive advertising and community awareness campaign, which included information translated
into more than 15 languages, and comprehensive support for people who needed help to submit their claims.
It can also be attributed to the exceptional work done by government
members, like the member for Southern River, who got out there in their school
communities, promoted the program and helped parents and carers to claim.
I was at an education forum in
Eaton with the member for Collie–Preston. She offered herself and her
staff to assist parents at the school if they needed assistance. That is what
we did on this side of the house. Southern
River had success rates in schools of 89 per cent, 87 per cent and 84 per cent at
Gosnells Primary School and so on. I am
not surprised that suburbs in the metropolitan area with the highest uptake of
claims were Baldivis, Canning Vale and Ellenbrook. I suspect the very
competitive member for Southern River will be a little disappointed that he was
pipped at the post by the member for Baldivis, but that is the way it goes.
These are outstanding results. I have already mentioned the member for Albany's
contribution to ensure that her constituents received the benefit. I compare
that with like schools in the member for Roe's electorate and what he
did. I would really like to know whether the member for Roe went to any school
and said that people should be enrolling in this program. Did you, member for
Roe?
The SPEAKER : Minister, you are the one who has been
asked a question. Please proceed.
Dr A.D. BUTI : Yes, I asked a question. The member did
not, did he? The member for Roe's silence says it all. I do not know
how he can get up in the morning and say that he is a member of the Legislative
Assembly of Western Australia and the member for Roe. I do not know how he does
that because I could not get up in the morning and say that I am the member for
Armadale if I had not gone out to advocate for my constituents to receive a benefit that will help with cost-of-living
pressures. I would not be able to do it, but as we know, the Nationals WA does not have any principles. Its members stand for pure basic politics and
they have been found out in the way they have opposed this program.
Then we had the comment-a-minute member for Vasse who likes
to comment on everything. Contrary to her baseless allegations, the government
did not pocket the unclaimed funds, as she went out and said we had done.
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
Dr A.D. BUTI : No, we have not done that. I will tell members
what we have done with the unclaimed funds. We have increased the
secondary assistance scheme clothing allowance. This measure provides an extra
$185 for eligible secondary school students from low-income families and brings
the total support available through the secondary assistance scheme to $535 a year
for 2024–25. Further, a total of $500 000 is also being provided to the
WA-based charity Give Write to support its work distributing new and recycled
stationery to schoolchildren in need right across the state; and, further, a significant
increase in supporting the government's successful KidSport program—well
done, Minister for Sport and Recreation—with up to $500 in vouchers now
available to eligible families to cover the cost of children's sport in
2025. There will soon be another announcement made about further support and
funds from this program. The member for Vasse is wrong—completely wrong—but
why should we be surprised by that? We have not pocketed money. It is being
used for other purposes. It would be good if the members for Roe and Vasse
congratulated us; but, no, all they can do is be negative. They play base
politics—shame on them!
Yesterday I had a meeting with the Western
Australian Council of Social Service, which expressed gratitude for what the
government has been doing with the residual funding and how much it is needed
by people in need.
In closing, I thank all school staff
and local members who have supported families to access this government's support. The promotion of the payment in
their local communities demonstrates their support for their communities ,
and the opposition remains condemned.
I thank the member for Southern River for his question, his support of the WA
student assistance payment and his leadership in his community in ensuring that
his local community members were able to benefit from this government's
program. The Western Australian student assistance payment program distributed
more than $75 million to provide almost 400 000 students and their families
with important cost-of-living support. It is outstanding. Despite the
negativity of the opposition, who were negative from day one—within the
first hour of the announcement, the member for Roe was out there being negative—we
obtained an 80 per cent success rate. That is 80 per cent of eligible
recipients enrolled in WA schools receiving a payment. This can be put down to
the government's extensive advertising and community awareness campaign, which included information translated
into more than 15 languages, and comprehensive support for people who needed help to submit their claims.
It can also be attributed to the exceptional work done by government
members, like the member for Southern River, who got out there in their school
communities, promoted the program and helped parents and carers to claim.
I was at an education forum in
Eaton with the member for Collie–Preston. She offered herself and her
staff to assist parents at the school if they needed assistance. That is what
we did on this side of the house. Southern
River had success rates in schools of 89 per cent, 87 per cent and 84 per cent at
Gosnells Primary School and so on. I am
not surprised that suburbs in the metropolitan area with the highest uptake of
claims were Baldivis, Canning Vale and Ellenbrook. I suspect the very
competitive member for Southern River will be a little disappointed that he was
pipped at the post by the member for Baldivis, but that is the way it goes.
These are outstanding results. I have already mentioned the member for Albany's
contribution to ensure that her constituents received the benefit. I compare
that with like schools in the member for Roe's electorate and what he
did. I would really like to know whether the member for Roe went to any school
and said that people should be enrolling in this program. Did you, member for
Roe?
The SPEAKER : Minister, you are the one who has been
asked a question. Please proceed.
Dr A.D. BUTI : Yes, I asked a question. The member did
not, did he? The member for Roe's silence says it all. I do not know
how he can get up in the morning and say that he is a member of the Legislative
Assembly of Western Australia and the member for Roe. I do not know how he does
that because I could not get up in the morning and say that I am the member for
Armadale if I had not gone out to advocate for my constituents to receive a benefit that will help with cost-of-living
pressures. I would not be able to do it, but as we know, the Nationals WA does not have any principles. Its members stand for pure basic politics and
they have been found out in the way they have opposed this program.
Then we had the comment-a-minute member for Vasse who likes
to comment on everything. Contrary to her baseless allegations, the government
did not pocket the unclaimed funds, as she went out and said we had done.
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
Dr A.D. BUTI : No, we have not done that. I will tell members
what we have done with the unclaimed funds. We have increased the
secondary assistance scheme clothing allowance. This measure provides an extra
$185 for eligible secondary school students from low-income families and brings
the total support available through the secondary assistance scheme to $535 a year
for 2024–25. Further, a total of $500 000 is also being provided to the
WA-based charity Give Write to support its work distributing new and recycled
stationery to schoolchildren in need right across the state; and, further, a significant
increase in supporting the government's successful KidSport program—well
done, Minister for Sport and Recreation—with up to $500 in vouchers now
available to eligible families to cover the cost of children's sport in
2025. There will soon be another announcement made about further support and
funds from this program. The member for Vasse is wrong—completely wrong—but
why should we be surprised by that? We have not pocketed money. It is being
used for other purposes. It would be good if the members for Roe and Vasse
congratulated us; but, no, all they can do is be negative. They play base
politics—shame on them!
Yesterday I had a meeting with the Western
Australian Council of Social Service, which expressed gratitude for what the
government has been doing with the residual funding and how much it is needed
by people in need.
In closing, I thank all school staff
and local members who have supported families to access this government's support. The promotion of the payment in
their local communities demonstrates their support for their communities ,
and the opposition remains condemned.
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