❓ Hon Michael Mischin questions the Minister for Education and Training about school infrastructure openings, specifically regarding Doubleview Primary School and media releases. The Minister provides partial answers and clarifies invitation policies.
AnsweredQoN 129Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
MINISTER FOR EDUCATION AND
TRAINING — SCHOOL INFRASTRUCTURE OPENINGS
129. Hon MICHAEL MISCHIN to the Minister for Education and
Training:
(1) Since
Parliament last sat some two weeks ago, how many visits has the minister made
to schools to open infrastructure?
(2) Has Doubleview Primary School
been part of those visits?
(3) Given that
whenever the minister opens school infrastructure she issues a media release
that includes comments from local members, will she include any remarks from
the local member when she opens Doubleview Primary School or are those media
releases reserved for Labor Party propaganda?
TRAINING — SCHOOL INFRASTRUCTURE OPENINGS
129. Hon MICHAEL MISCHIN to the Minister for Education and
Training:
(1) Since
Parliament last sat some two weeks ago, how many visits has the minister made
to schools to open infrastructure?
(2) Has Doubleview Primary School
been part of those visits?
(3) Given that
whenever the minister opens school infrastructure she issues a media release
that includes comments from local members, will she include any remarks from
the local member when she opens Doubleview Primary School or are those media
releases reserved for Labor Party propaganda?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question.
(1)–(3) I
ask the member to put the first bit about how many schools I have visited on
notice because there are so many that I cannot remember.
Hon Michael
Mischin : What, in the last two weeks?
Hon SUE ELLERY : Yes. Put that
on notice. The second bit was whether I have —
Hon Michael Mischin : Was
Doubleview amongst them?
Hon SUE ELLERY : No, it was
not.
The third bit about media releases
and who gets a local comment, the member would be aware—if not, he
should make himself aware and perhaps talk to the shadow Minister for Education
and Training because she is aware of this—that local members from
whatever party are invited to the openings. Indeed, I did one in Geraldton and
the local member was there.
Several members interjected.
Hon Martin Aldridge : There's
seven members representing Geraldton.
The PRESIDENT : Order! There
is one person on their feet and that minister is trying to provide a response.
Hon SUE ELLERY : I think that
members will find —
Hon Martin Aldridge interjected.
Withdrawal of Remark
Hon SUE
ELLERY : I am not misleading the house and I ask you to withdraw.
Madam President, I ask him to withdraw.
Several members interjected.
The
PRESIDENT : Order! Leader of the House, because of the amount of
noise that was going on in the chamber, I did not actually hear what you
thought that member said. I will listen more carefully. I am sure that he will
not make any further comment while you are on your feet providing a response.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Hon SUE ELLERY : Thank you,
Madam President.
The point I was trying to make was
in response to the language used by the questioner. He, I assume, was talking
about Hon Liza Harvey, who is a lower house member.
Hon Peter Collier : You don't
invite upper house members.
Hon SUE ELLERY : Honourable
member, I am trying to answer the question. That is who I assume he was talking
about—lower house members. The lower house member for Geraldton was
certainly at the opening that I did in Geraldton and other members were
invited. In respect of Geraldton —
Hon Peter Collier : You never
invited me once.
Hon SUE ELLERY : Madam
President, I am trying to —
Hon Peter Collier : You just
don't like it, do you?
The
PRESIDENT : Order! Leader of the Opposition, I did ask that
people listen quietly, and that includes you, too.
Several members interjected.
The PRESIDENT : The more
interjections that occur, the longer it will take for people to get a question
and some people may actually miss out. If members want to get a question, they
might listen actively, let the speaker finish their response and then we will
move on.
Hon SUE ELLERY : In addition
to Geraldton, I went to Dongara and the lower house member for Dongara—that
is not the name of the seat, but that is the town—was not invited. That
was a mistake by my office. As soon as it was brought to my attention, my
appointment secretary contacted his office. My chief of staff rang his office
to apologise for that mistake because it was unreasonable and should not have
happened. I make this point as well: the shadow Minister for Education and
Training is invited to all school openings. The other point I want to make is
that with respect to upper house members, nothing has changed.
Hon Peter Collier : Yes, it
has.
Hon SUE ELLERY : Madam President,
I am trying to answer the question that was asked without notice so I am trying
my best to remember the exact words of the question and provide an answer.
With respect to upper house members,
nothing has changed in the policy of invitations. I have not changed a single
thing and neither has the department. The responsibility of inviting members
other than the Assembly members rests with the school. If members have a good
relationship with their schools, I am sure they will be invited. I have seen
upper house members invited to those sorts of events. I have changed nothing in
the policy.
Hon Peter Collier : So you're
blaming schools now.
Hon SUE ELLERY : I am not
blaming schools!
The PRESIDENT : Order! I am
finding it really difficult to hear the Leader of the House finish what she has
to say when other people are raising their voices.
Hon SUE ELLERY : Thank you,
Madam President. I am trying to provide as concise an answer as I can. This is
the opposition's time to ask questions, so the more members opposite interrupt
me, the longer it will take for me to give the answer. There has been no change
by me or anyone in the department to the policies in respect to invitations to
those sorts of events at schools.
Point of Order
Hon
MICHAEL MISCHIN : I accept that the Leader of the House in her
capacity as Minister for Education and Training was answering a question
amongst interjections, but my actual question was also regarding media
releases, and she did not seem to get to that point. Maybe she was put off, so
I will give her the opportunity —
Several members interjected.
The
PRESIDENT : Order! Member, I assume you are trying to make a point of
order. You know from your own experience that although you might ask a question,
the member responding will provide the answer they choose to provide. If you
are asking a detailed question without notice, from time to time people miss
the response.
(1)–(3) I
ask the member to put the first bit about how many schools I have visited on
notice because there are so many that I cannot remember.
Hon Michael
Mischin : What, in the last two weeks?
Hon SUE ELLERY : Yes. Put that
on notice. The second bit was whether I have —
Hon Michael Mischin : Was
Doubleview amongst them?
Hon SUE ELLERY : No, it was
not.
The third bit about media releases
and who gets a local comment, the member would be aware—if not, he
should make himself aware and perhaps talk to the shadow Minister for Education
and Training because she is aware of this—that local members from
whatever party are invited to the openings. Indeed, I did one in Geraldton and
the local member was there.
Several members interjected.
Hon Martin Aldridge : There's
seven members representing Geraldton.
The PRESIDENT : Order! There
is one person on their feet and that minister is trying to provide a response.
Hon SUE ELLERY : I think that
members will find —
Hon Martin Aldridge interjected.
Withdrawal of Remark
Hon SUE
ELLERY : I am not misleading the house and I ask you to withdraw.
Madam President, I ask him to withdraw.
Several members interjected.
The
PRESIDENT : Order! Leader of the House, because of the amount of
noise that was going on in the chamber, I did not actually hear what you
thought that member said. I will listen more carefully. I am sure that he will
not make any further comment while you are on your feet providing a response.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Hon SUE ELLERY : Thank you,
Madam President.
The point I was trying to make was
in response to the language used by the questioner. He, I assume, was talking
about Hon Liza Harvey, who is a lower house member.
Hon Peter Collier : You don't
invite upper house members.
Hon SUE ELLERY : Honourable
member, I am trying to answer the question. That is who I assume he was talking
about—lower house members. The lower house member for Geraldton was
certainly at the opening that I did in Geraldton and other members were
invited. In respect of Geraldton —
Hon Peter Collier : You never
invited me once.
Hon SUE ELLERY : Madam
President, I am trying to —
Hon Peter Collier : You just
don't like it, do you?
The
PRESIDENT : Order! Leader of the Opposition, I did ask that
people listen quietly, and that includes you, too.
Several members interjected.
The PRESIDENT : The more
interjections that occur, the longer it will take for people to get a question
and some people may actually miss out. If members want to get a question, they
might listen actively, let the speaker finish their response and then we will
move on.
Hon SUE ELLERY : In addition
to Geraldton, I went to Dongara and the lower house member for Dongara—that
is not the name of the seat, but that is the town—was not invited. That
was a mistake by my office. As soon as it was brought to my attention, my
appointment secretary contacted his office. My chief of staff rang his office
to apologise for that mistake because it was unreasonable and should not have
happened. I make this point as well: the shadow Minister for Education and
Training is invited to all school openings. The other point I want to make is
that with respect to upper house members, nothing has changed.
Hon Peter Collier : Yes, it
has.
Hon SUE ELLERY : Madam President,
I am trying to answer the question that was asked without notice so I am trying
my best to remember the exact words of the question and provide an answer.
With respect to upper house members,
nothing has changed in the policy of invitations. I have not changed a single
thing and neither has the department. The responsibility of inviting members
other than the Assembly members rests with the school. If members have a good
relationship with their schools, I am sure they will be invited. I have seen
upper house members invited to those sorts of events. I have changed nothing in
the policy.
Hon Peter Collier : So you're
blaming schools now.
Hon SUE ELLERY : I am not
blaming schools!
The PRESIDENT : Order! I am
finding it really difficult to hear the Leader of the House finish what she has
to say when other people are raising their voices.
Hon SUE ELLERY : Thank you,
Madam President. I am trying to provide as concise an answer as I can. This is
the opposition's time to ask questions, so the more members opposite interrupt
me, the longer it will take for me to give the answer. There has been no change
by me or anyone in the department to the policies in respect to invitations to
those sorts of events at schools.
Point of Order
Hon
MICHAEL MISCHIN : I accept that the Leader of the House in her
capacity as Minister for Education and Training was answering a question
amongst interjections, but my actual question was also regarding media
releases, and she did not seem to get to that point. Maybe she was put off, so
I will give her the opportunity —
Several members interjected.
The
PRESIDENT : Order! Member, I assume you are trying to make a point of
order. You know from your own experience that although you might ask a question,
the member responding will provide the answer they choose to provide. If you
are asking a detailed question without notice, from time to time people miss
the response.
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