❓ Question on Notice regarding the cost of bringing school cleaning contracts back in-house after a ministerial directive, and whether principals are circumventing the directive. The Minister's response lacks specific cost figures and expresses concern if principals are ignoring the directive.
AnsweredQoN 104Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
SCHOOL CLEANING CONTRACTS
I refer to the minister’s directive of April 2005 to the Department of Education and Training to not extend outsourced school cleaning contracts, most of which were due to expire at the end of the year. (1) Will school cleaning now cost taxpayers $3 million a year more, as members were told it would cost, in the presence of former Minister for Education and Training, Alan Carpenter, during the 2005 budget estimates hearings? (2) Conversely, have many of the state’s school principals saved some of this expense by ignoring the minister’s directive and retaining the service of private contractors? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH
I refer to the minister’s directive of April 2005 to the Department of Education and Training to not extend outsourced school cleaning contracts, most of which were due to expire at the end of the year. (1) Will school cleaning now cost taxpayers $3 million a year more, as members were told it would cost, in the presence of former Minister for Education and Training, Alan Carpenter, during the 2005 budget estimates hearings? (2) Conversely, have many of the state’s school principals saved some of this expense by ignoring the minister’s directive and retaining the service of private contractors? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question. (1) The Labor government provided a clear commitment to bring cleaning contracts back in-house, and we have honoured that commitment. Hon Simon O’Brien : Carpenter’s commitment was to give schools a choice. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I brought them in, and I am happy to have brought them in. Frankly, I am not hearing any complaints from anywhere. Will it cost $3 million or more? I do not have an exact figure of the costs. If the member wants to put that part of the question on notice, I am happy to take it on notice. (2) It has not come to my attention that principals have ignored my directive and maintained contract cleaners. I would be particularly concerned if some principals felt that they had the authority to exceed a ministerial directive. Hon Simon O’Brien : I hope I have not got them in trouble. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I hope you have not either. Hon Norman Moore : What will you do about it? You ought to know exactly how much it costs. It is not your money. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! I want to listen to Hon Robyn McSweeney’s question.
(1) Will school cleaning now cost taxpayers $3 million a year more, as members were told it would cost, in the presence of former Minister for Education and Training, Alan Carpenter, during the 2005 budget estimates hearings? (2) Conversely, have many of the state’s school principals saved some of this expense by ignoring the minister’s directive and retaining the service of private contractors? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for the question. (1) The Labor government provided a clear commitment to bring cleaning contracts back in-house, and we have honoured that commitment. Hon Simon O’Brien : Carpenter’s commitment was to give schools a choice. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I brought them in, and I am happy to have brought them in. Frankly, I am not hearing any complaints from anywhere. Will it cost $3 million or more? I do not have an exact figure of the costs. If the member wants to put that part of the question on notice, I am happy to take it on notice. (2) It has not come to my attention that principals have ignored my directive and maintained contract cleaners. I would be particularly concerned if some principals felt that they had the authority to exceed a ministerial directive. Hon Simon O’Brien : I hope I have not got them in trouble. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I hope you have not either. Hon Norman Moore : What will you do about it? You ought to know exactly how much it costs. It is not your money. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! I want to listen to Hon Robyn McSweeney’s question.
(2) Conversely, have many of the state’s school principals saved some of this expense by ignoring the minister’s directive and retaining the service of private contractors? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for the question. (1) The Labor government provided a clear commitment to bring cleaning contracts back in-house, and we have honoured that commitment. Hon Simon O’Brien : Carpenter’s commitment was to give schools a choice. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I brought them in, and I am happy to have brought them in. Frankly, I am not hearing any complaints from anywhere. Will it cost $3 million or more? I do not have an exact figure of the costs. If the member wants to put that part of the question on notice, I am happy to take it on notice. (2) It has not come to my attention that principals have ignored my directive and maintained contract cleaners. I would be particularly concerned if some principals felt that they had the authority to exceed a ministerial directive. Hon Simon O’Brien : I hope I have not got them in trouble. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I hope you have not either. Hon Norman Moore : What will you do about it? You ought to know exactly how much it costs. It is not your money. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! I want to listen to Hon Robyn McSweeney’s question.
Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for the question. (1) The Labor government provided a clear commitment to bring cleaning contracts back in-house, and we have honoured that commitment. Hon Simon O’Brien : Carpenter’s commitment was to give schools a choice. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I brought them in, and I am happy to have brought them in. Frankly, I am not hearing any complaints from anywhere. Will it cost $3 million or more? I do not have an exact figure of the costs. If the member wants to put that part of the question on notice, I am happy to take it on notice. (2) It has not come to my attention that principals have ignored my directive and maintained contract cleaners. I would be particularly concerned if some principals felt that they had the authority to exceed a ministerial directive. Hon Simon O’Brien : I hope I have not got them in trouble. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I hope you have not either. Hon Norman Moore : What will you do about it? You ought to know exactly how much it costs. It is not your money. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! I want to listen to Hon Robyn McSweeney’s question.
I thank the member for the question. (1) The Labor government provided a clear commitment to bring cleaning contracts back in-house, and we have honoured that commitment. Hon Simon O’Brien : Carpenter’s commitment was to give schools a choice. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I brought them in, and I am happy to have brought them in. Frankly, I am not hearing any complaints from anywhere. Will it cost $3 million or more? I do not have an exact figure of the costs. If the member wants to put that part of the question on notice, I am happy to take it on notice. (2) It has not come to my attention that principals have ignored my directive and maintained contract cleaners. I would be particularly concerned if some principals felt that they had the authority to exceed a ministerial directive. Hon Simon O’Brien : I hope I have not got them in trouble. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I hope you have not either. Hon Norman Moore : What will you do about it? You ought to know exactly how much it costs. It is not your money. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! I want to listen to Hon Robyn McSweeney’s question.
(1) The Labor government provided a clear commitment to bring cleaning contracts back in-house, and we have honoured that commitment. Hon Simon O’Brien : Carpenter’s commitment was to give schools a choice. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I brought them in, and I am happy to have brought them in. Frankly, I am not hearing any complaints from anywhere. Will it cost $3 million or more? I do not have an exact figure of the costs. If the member wants to put that part of the question on notice, I am happy to take it on notice. (2) It has not come to my attention that principals have ignored my directive and maintained contract cleaners. I would be particularly concerned if some principals felt that they had the authority to exceed a ministerial directive. Hon Simon O’Brien : I hope I have not got them in trouble. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I hope you have not either. Hon Norman Moore : What will you do about it? You ought to know exactly how much it costs. It is not your money. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! I want to listen to Hon Robyn McSweeney’s question.
Hon Simon O’Brien : Carpenter’s commitment was to give schools a choice. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I brought them in, and I am happy to have brought them in. Frankly, I am not hearing any complaints from anywhere. Will it cost $3 million or more? I do not have an exact figure of the costs. If the member wants to put that part of the question on notice, I am happy to take it on notice. (2) It has not come to my attention that principals have ignored my directive and maintained contract cleaners. I would be particularly concerned if some principals felt that they had the authority to exceed a ministerial directive. Hon Simon O’Brien : I hope I have not got them in trouble. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I hope you have not either. Hon Norman Moore : What will you do about it? You ought to know exactly how much it costs. It is not your money. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! I want to listen to Hon Robyn McSweeney’s question.
Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I brought them in, and I am happy to have brought them in. Frankly, I am not hearing any complaints from anywhere. Will it cost $3 million or more? I do not have an exact figure of the costs. If the member wants to put that part of the question on notice, I am happy to take it on notice. (2) It has not come to my attention that principals have ignored my directive and maintained contract cleaners. I would be particularly concerned if some principals felt that they had the authority to exceed a ministerial directive. Hon Simon O’Brien : I hope I have not got them in trouble. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I hope you have not either. Hon Norman Moore : What will you do about it? You ought to know exactly how much it costs. It is not your money. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! I want to listen to Hon Robyn McSweeney’s question.
(2) It has not come to my attention that principals have ignored my directive and maintained contract cleaners. I would be particularly concerned if some principals felt that they had the authority to exceed a ministerial directive. Hon Simon O’Brien : I hope I have not got them in trouble. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I hope you have not either. Hon Norman Moore : What will you do about it? You ought to know exactly how much it costs. It is not your money. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! I want to listen to Hon Robyn McSweeney’s question.
Hon Simon O’Brien : I hope I have not got them in trouble. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I hope you have not either. Hon Norman Moore : What will you do about it? You ought to know exactly how much it costs. It is not your money. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! I want to listen to Hon Robyn McSweeney’s question.
Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I hope you have not either. Hon Norman Moore : What will you do about it? You ought to know exactly how much it costs. It is not your money. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! I want to listen to Hon Robyn McSweeney’s question.
Hon Norman Moore : What will you do about it? You ought to know exactly how much it costs. It is not your money. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! I want to listen to Hon Robyn McSweeney’s question.
The PRESIDENT : Order, members! I want to listen to Hon Robyn McSweeney’s question.
(1) Will school cleaning now cost taxpayers $3 million a year more, as members were told it would cost, in the presence of former Minister for Education and Training, Alan Carpenter, during the 2005 budget estimates hearings? (2) Conversely, have many of the state’s school principals saved some of this expense by ignoring the minister’s directive and retaining the service of private contractors? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for the question. (1) The Labor government provided a clear commitment to bring cleaning contracts back in-house, and we have honoured that commitment. Hon Simon O’Brien : Carpenter’s commitment was to give schools a choice. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I brought them in, and I am happy to have brought them in. Frankly, I am not hearing any complaints from anywhere. Will it cost $3 million or more? I do not have an exact figure of the costs. If the member wants to put that part of the question on notice, I am happy to take it on notice. (2) It has not come to my attention that principals have ignored my directive and maintained contract cleaners. I would be particularly concerned if some principals felt that they had the authority to exceed a ministerial directive. Hon Simon O’Brien : I hope I have not got them in trouble. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I hope you have not either. Hon Norman Moore : What will you do about it? You ought to know exactly how much it costs. It is not your money. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! I want to listen to Hon Robyn McSweeney’s question.
(2) Conversely, have many of the state’s school principals saved some of this expense by ignoring the minister’s directive and retaining the service of private contractors? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for the question. (1) The Labor government provided a clear commitment to bring cleaning contracts back in-house, and we have honoured that commitment. Hon Simon O’Brien : Carpenter’s commitment was to give schools a choice. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I brought them in, and I am happy to have brought them in. Frankly, I am not hearing any complaints from anywhere. Will it cost $3 million or more? I do not have an exact figure of the costs. If the member wants to put that part of the question on notice, I am happy to take it on notice. (2) It has not come to my attention that principals have ignored my directive and maintained contract cleaners. I would be particularly concerned if some principals felt that they had the authority to exceed a ministerial directive. Hon Simon O’Brien : I hope I have not got them in trouble. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I hope you have not either. Hon Norman Moore : What will you do about it? You ought to know exactly how much it costs. It is not your money. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! I want to listen to Hon Robyn McSweeney’s question.
Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for the question. (1) The Labor government provided a clear commitment to bring cleaning contracts back in-house, and we have honoured that commitment. Hon Simon O’Brien : Carpenter’s commitment was to give schools a choice. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I brought them in, and I am happy to have brought them in. Frankly, I am not hearing any complaints from anywhere. Will it cost $3 million or more? I do not have an exact figure of the costs. If the member wants to put that part of the question on notice, I am happy to take it on notice. (2) It has not come to my attention that principals have ignored my directive and maintained contract cleaners. I would be particularly concerned if some principals felt that they had the authority to exceed a ministerial directive. Hon Simon O’Brien : I hope I have not got them in trouble. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I hope you have not either. Hon Norman Moore : What will you do about it? You ought to know exactly how much it costs. It is not your money. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! I want to listen to Hon Robyn McSweeney’s question.
I thank the member for the question. (1) The Labor government provided a clear commitment to bring cleaning contracts back in-house, and we have honoured that commitment. Hon Simon O’Brien : Carpenter’s commitment was to give schools a choice. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I brought them in, and I am happy to have brought them in. Frankly, I am not hearing any complaints from anywhere. Will it cost $3 million or more? I do not have an exact figure of the costs. If the member wants to put that part of the question on notice, I am happy to take it on notice. (2) It has not come to my attention that principals have ignored my directive and maintained contract cleaners. I would be particularly concerned if some principals felt that they had the authority to exceed a ministerial directive. Hon Simon O’Brien : I hope I have not got them in trouble. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I hope you have not either. Hon Norman Moore : What will you do about it? You ought to know exactly how much it costs. It is not your money. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! I want to listen to Hon Robyn McSweeney’s question.
(1) The Labor government provided a clear commitment to bring cleaning contracts back in-house, and we have honoured that commitment. Hon Simon O’Brien : Carpenter’s commitment was to give schools a choice. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I brought them in, and I am happy to have brought them in. Frankly, I am not hearing any complaints from anywhere. Will it cost $3 million or more? I do not have an exact figure of the costs. If the member wants to put that part of the question on notice, I am happy to take it on notice. (2) It has not come to my attention that principals have ignored my directive and maintained contract cleaners. I would be particularly concerned if some principals felt that they had the authority to exceed a ministerial directive. Hon Simon O’Brien : I hope I have not got them in trouble. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I hope you have not either. Hon Norman Moore : What will you do about it? You ought to know exactly how much it costs. It is not your money. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! I want to listen to Hon Robyn McSweeney’s question.
Hon Simon O’Brien : Carpenter’s commitment was to give schools a choice. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I brought them in, and I am happy to have brought them in. Frankly, I am not hearing any complaints from anywhere. Will it cost $3 million or more? I do not have an exact figure of the costs. If the member wants to put that part of the question on notice, I am happy to take it on notice. (2) It has not come to my attention that principals have ignored my directive and maintained contract cleaners. I would be particularly concerned if some principals felt that they had the authority to exceed a ministerial directive. Hon Simon O’Brien : I hope I have not got them in trouble. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I hope you have not either. Hon Norman Moore : What will you do about it? You ought to know exactly how much it costs. It is not your money. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! I want to listen to Hon Robyn McSweeney’s question.
Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I brought them in, and I am happy to have brought them in. Frankly, I am not hearing any complaints from anywhere. Will it cost $3 million or more? I do not have an exact figure of the costs. If the member wants to put that part of the question on notice, I am happy to take it on notice. (2) It has not come to my attention that principals have ignored my directive and maintained contract cleaners. I would be particularly concerned if some principals felt that they had the authority to exceed a ministerial directive. Hon Simon O’Brien : I hope I have not got them in trouble. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I hope you have not either. Hon Norman Moore : What will you do about it? You ought to know exactly how much it costs. It is not your money. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! I want to listen to Hon Robyn McSweeney’s question.
(2) It has not come to my attention that principals have ignored my directive and maintained contract cleaners. I would be particularly concerned if some principals felt that they had the authority to exceed a ministerial directive. Hon Simon O’Brien : I hope I have not got them in trouble. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I hope you have not either. Hon Norman Moore : What will you do about it? You ought to know exactly how much it costs. It is not your money. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! I want to listen to Hon Robyn McSweeney’s question.
Hon Simon O’Brien : I hope I have not got them in trouble. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I hope you have not either. Hon Norman Moore : What will you do about it? You ought to know exactly how much it costs. It is not your money. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! I want to listen to Hon Robyn McSweeney’s question.
Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I hope you have not either. Hon Norman Moore : What will you do about it? You ought to know exactly how much it costs. It is not your money. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! I want to listen to Hon Robyn McSweeney’s question.
Hon Norman Moore : What will you do about it? You ought to know exactly how much it costs. It is not your money. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! I want to listen to Hon Robyn McSweeney’s question.
The PRESIDENT : Order, members! I want to listen to Hon Robyn McSweeney’s question.
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