❓ Question regarding alleged budget cuts to the Department of Education and Training. The Minister denies any cuts, stating there's only a change in budget allocations and that the overall education budget has increased.
AnsweredQoN 1353Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to a question asked last week by the member for Darling Range alleging $30 million in budget cuts to the Department of Education and Training budget. Mr J.H.D. Day: It is on page 904 of the budget papers. Mr N.R. MARLBOROUGH: I thought the member was saying $904 million. Is the member counting for the member for Cottesloe at the moment? The SPEAKER: Order! Mr N.R. MARLBOROUGH: I did not know that the member for Cottesloe had the same - The SPEAKER: Order, member for Peel! Mr N.R. MARLBOROUGH: Mr Speaker, with your forbearance I will run through the question again. I refer to a question asked last week by the member for Darling Range alleging $30 million in budget cuts to the Department of Education and Training budget. Will the minister confirm whether this is the case? Mr A.J. CARPENTER
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for some notice of this question. I have reflected on the member’s contribution to education previously, so I will not repeat it. Last week the member for Darling Range asked whether I would confirm that on page 904 of the budget papers there was reference to a $30 million cut to the education and training budget and he asked me subsequent questions. I specifically asked what page number the member was referring to, because I was confident that there was no reference in the budget papers to a cut. I still challenge the member for Darling Range to find the word “cut” on page 904 of the budget papers. If he asks a question he should make sure he gets it right, because as the member for Kingsley found when she asked me a question about a question not being answered, I followed up on the detail, and the answer she sought had been provided but she had not realised it. There is no reference to a budget cut on page 904. As the member for Darling Range points out, there is a change to the budget allocations. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: This is a little window into the way those on the other side operated when they were in government and their lack of understanding about how the budget works. When an allocation within a budget portfolio is changed, that does not constitute a cut; it constitutes a change of the allocation within the portfolio. It is a completely different concept. Without pursuing the former Minister for Health and Police about his budgets, those opposite should look at the performance, in a fiscal sense, of the current Leader of the Opposition when he was Minister for Education. It was probably - I will stand corrected if he can find a better example - the worst performance, in a fiscal sense, of any Minister for Education in the history of this State. The facts of the matter are that this year’s budget is up by 4.21 per cent, which is $101 million over the budget from the previous year; the previous budget was an increase of 5.7 per cent. Therefore, over the past two years the budget for education and training has been significantly increased. Comparing this year’s budget with the last budget of the previous Government, we are spending more than $300 million on education and training. There have been real increases in the education and training budget. What is more, the budget is being managed properly for the first time for a long time. That is why we can find the money for the initiatives in Peel and the $28 million for initiatives such as the behaviour management and discipline program. That is why we can find the money for literacy and numeracy programs. That is why, despite what opposition members say now, when the Opposition was in government the education system was abysmal. Completion rates declined under the coalition Government. On every measure, the performance in education declined under that Government. I know that the member for Darling Range has had a hard week, and I will not rub it in. No budget cuts have been made to education and training. The Government is proud that it has increased the education and training budget, just as it has increased funding to health and to community safety, because the Government has its priorities right. The new leader of the federal Labor Party, Mark Latham, talked about a ladder of opportunity. Through education and training in this State, the Government is providing a ladder of opportunity to people who would not otherwise have it. Several members interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: When the Opposition was in government, it kicked away the ladder.
Mr J.H.D. Day: It is on page 904 of the budget papers. Mr N.R. MARLBOROUGH: I thought the member was saying $904 million. Is the member counting for the member for Cottesloe at the moment? The SPEAKER: Order! Mr N.R. MARLBOROUGH: I did not know that the member for Cottesloe had the same - The SPEAKER: Order, member for Peel! Mr N.R. MARLBOROUGH: Mr Speaker, with your forbearance I will run through the question again. I refer to a question asked last week by the member for Darling Range alleging $30 million in budget cuts to the Department of Education and Training budget. Will the minister confirm whether this is the case? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. I have reflected on the member’s contribution to education previously, so I will not repeat it. Last week the member for Darling Range asked whether I would confirm that on page 904 of the budget papers there was reference to a $30 million cut to the education and training budget and he asked me subsequent questions. I specifically asked what page number the member was referring to, because I was confident that there was no reference in the budget papers to a cut. I still challenge the member for Darling Range to find the word “cut” on page 904 of the budget papers. If he asks a question he should make sure he gets it right, because as the member for Kingsley found when she asked me a question about a question not being answered, I followed up on the detail, and the answer she sought had been provided but she had not realised it. There is no reference to a budget cut on page 904. As the member for Darling Range points out, there is a change to the budget allocations. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: This is a little window into the way those on the other side operated when they were in government and their lack of understanding about how the budget works. When an allocation within a budget portfolio is changed, that does not constitute a cut; it constitutes a change of the allocation within the portfolio. It is a completely different concept. Without pursuing the former Minister for Health and Police about his budgets, those opposite should look at the performance, in a fiscal sense, of the current Leader of the Opposition when he was Minister for Education. It was probably - I will stand corrected if he can find a better example - the worst performance, in a fiscal sense, of any Minister for Education in the history of this State. The facts of the matter are that this year’s budget is up by 4.21 per cent, which is $101 million over the budget from the previous year; the previous budget was an increase of 5.7 per cent. Therefore, over the past two years the budget for education and training has been significantly increased. Comparing this year’s budget with the last budget of the previous Government, we are spending more than $300 million on education and training. There have been real increases in the education and training budget. What is more, the budget is being managed properly for the first time for a long time. That is why we can find the money for the initiatives in Peel and the $28 million for initiatives such as the behaviour management and discipline program. That is why we can find the money for literacy and numeracy programs. That is why, despite what opposition members say now, when the Opposition was in government the education system was abysmal. Completion rates declined under the coalition Government. On every measure, the performance in education declined under that Government. I know that the member for Darling Range has had a hard week, and I will not rub it in. No budget cuts have been made to education and training. The Government is proud that it has increased the education and training budget, just as it has increased funding to health and to community safety, because the Government has its priorities right. The new leader of the federal Labor Party, Mark Latham, talked about a ladder of opportunity. Through education and training in this State, the Government is providing a ladder of opportunity to people who would not otherwise have it. Several members interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: When the Opposition was in government, it kicked away the ladder.
Mr N.R. MARLBOROUGH: I thought the member was saying $904 million. Is the member counting for the member for Cottesloe at the moment? The SPEAKER: Order! Mr N.R. MARLBOROUGH: I did not know that the member for Cottesloe had the same - The SPEAKER: Order, member for Peel! Mr N.R. MARLBOROUGH: Mr Speaker, with your forbearance I will run through the question again. I refer to a question asked last week by the member for Darling Range alleging $30 million in budget cuts to the Department of Education and Training budget. Will the minister confirm whether this is the case? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. I have reflected on the member’s contribution to education previously, so I will not repeat it. Last week the member for Darling Range asked whether I would confirm that on page 904 of the budget papers there was reference to a $30 million cut to the education and training budget and he asked me subsequent questions. I specifically asked what page number the member was referring to, because I was confident that there was no reference in the budget papers to a cut. I still challenge the member for Darling Range to find the word “cut” on page 904 of the budget papers. If he asks a question he should make sure he gets it right, because as the member for Kingsley found when she asked me a question about a question not being answered, I followed up on the detail, and the answer she sought had been provided but she had not realised it. There is no reference to a budget cut on page 904. As the member for Darling Range points out, there is a change to the budget allocations. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: This is a little window into the way those on the other side operated when they were in government and their lack of understanding about how the budget works. When an allocation within a budget portfolio is changed, that does not constitute a cut; it constitutes a change of the allocation within the portfolio. It is a completely different concept. Without pursuing the former Minister for Health and Police about his budgets, those opposite should look at the performance, in a fiscal sense, of the current Leader of the Opposition when he was Minister for Education. It was probably - I will stand corrected if he can find a better example - the worst performance, in a fiscal sense, of any Minister for Education in the history of this State. The facts of the matter are that this year’s budget is up by 4.21 per cent, which is $101 million over the budget from the previous year; the previous budget was an increase of 5.7 per cent. Therefore, over the past two years the budget for education and training has been significantly increased. Comparing this year’s budget with the last budget of the previous Government, we are spending more than $300 million on education and training. There have been real increases in the education and training budget. What is more, the budget is being managed properly for the first time for a long time. That is why we can find the money for the initiatives in Peel and the $28 million for initiatives such as the behaviour management and discipline program. That is why we can find the money for literacy and numeracy programs. That is why, despite what opposition members say now, when the Opposition was in government the education system was abysmal. Completion rates declined under the coalition Government. On every measure, the performance in education declined under that Government. I know that the member for Darling Range has had a hard week, and I will not rub it in. No budget cuts have been made to education and training. The Government is proud that it has increased the education and training budget, just as it has increased funding to health and to community safety, because the Government has its priorities right. The new leader of the federal Labor Party, Mark Latham, talked about a ladder of opportunity. Through education and training in this State, the Government is providing a ladder of opportunity to people who would not otherwise have it. Several members interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: When the Opposition was in government, it kicked away the ladder.
The SPEAKER: Order! Mr N.R. MARLBOROUGH: I did not know that the member for Cottesloe had the same - The SPEAKER: Order, member for Peel! Mr N.R. MARLBOROUGH: Mr Speaker, with your forbearance I will run through the question again. I refer to a question asked last week by the member for Darling Range alleging $30 million in budget cuts to the Department of Education and Training budget. Will the minister confirm whether this is the case? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. I have reflected on the member’s contribution to education previously, so I will not repeat it. Last week the member for Darling Range asked whether I would confirm that on page 904 of the budget papers there was reference to a $30 million cut to the education and training budget and he asked me subsequent questions. I specifically asked what page number the member was referring to, because I was confident that there was no reference in the budget papers to a cut. I still challenge the member for Darling Range to find the word “cut” on page 904 of the budget papers. If he asks a question he should make sure he gets it right, because as the member for Kingsley found when she asked me a question about a question not being answered, I followed up on the detail, and the answer she sought had been provided but she had not realised it. There is no reference to a budget cut on page 904. As the member for Darling Range points out, there is a change to the budget allocations. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: This is a little window into the way those on the other side operated when they were in government and their lack of understanding about how the budget works. When an allocation within a budget portfolio is changed, that does not constitute a cut; it constitutes a change of the allocation within the portfolio. It is a completely different concept. Without pursuing the former Minister for Health and Police about his budgets, those opposite should look at the performance, in a fiscal sense, of the current Leader of the Opposition when he was Minister for Education. It was probably - I will stand corrected if he can find a better example - the worst performance, in a fiscal sense, of any Minister for Education in the history of this State. The facts of the matter are that this year’s budget is up by 4.21 per cent, which is $101 million over the budget from the previous year; the previous budget was an increase of 5.7 per cent. Therefore, over the past two years the budget for education and training has been significantly increased. Comparing this year’s budget with the last budget of the previous Government, we are spending more than $300 million on education and training. There have been real increases in the education and training budget. What is more, the budget is being managed properly for the first time for a long time. That is why we can find the money for the initiatives in Peel and the $28 million for initiatives such as the behaviour management and discipline program. That is why we can find the money for literacy and numeracy programs. That is why, despite what opposition members say now, when the Opposition was in government the education system was abysmal. Completion rates declined under the coalition Government. On every measure, the performance in education declined under that Government. I know that the member for Darling Range has had a hard week, and I will not rub it in. No budget cuts have been made to education and training. The Government is proud that it has increased the education and training budget, just as it has increased funding to health and to community safety, because the Government has its priorities right. The new leader of the federal Labor Party, Mark Latham, talked about a ladder of opportunity. Through education and training in this State, the Government is providing a ladder of opportunity to people who would not otherwise have it. Several members interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: When the Opposition was in government, it kicked away the ladder.
Mr N.R. MARLBOROUGH: I did not know that the member for Cottesloe had the same - The SPEAKER: Order, member for Peel! Mr N.R. MARLBOROUGH: Mr Speaker, with your forbearance I will run through the question again. I refer to a question asked last week by the member for Darling Range alleging $30 million in budget cuts to the Department of Education and Training budget. Will the minister confirm whether this is the case? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. I have reflected on the member’s contribution to education previously, so I will not repeat it. Last week the member for Darling Range asked whether I would confirm that on page 904 of the budget papers there was reference to a $30 million cut to the education and training budget and he asked me subsequent questions. I specifically asked what page number the member was referring to, because I was confident that there was no reference in the budget papers to a cut. I still challenge the member for Darling Range to find the word “cut” on page 904 of the budget papers. If he asks a question he should make sure he gets it right, because as the member for Kingsley found when she asked me a question about a question not being answered, I followed up on the detail, and the answer she sought had been provided but she had not realised it. There is no reference to a budget cut on page 904. As the member for Darling Range points out, there is a change to the budget allocations. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: This is a little window into the way those on the other side operated when they were in government and their lack of understanding about how the budget works. When an allocation within a budget portfolio is changed, that does not constitute a cut; it constitutes a change of the allocation within the portfolio. It is a completely different concept. Without pursuing the former Minister for Health and Police about his budgets, those opposite should look at the performance, in a fiscal sense, of the current Leader of the Opposition when he was Minister for Education. It was probably - I will stand corrected if he can find a better example - the worst performance, in a fiscal sense, of any Minister for Education in the history of this State. The facts of the matter are that this year’s budget is up by 4.21 per cent, which is $101 million over the budget from the previous year; the previous budget was an increase of 5.7 per cent. Therefore, over the past two years the budget for education and training has been significantly increased. Comparing this year’s budget with the last budget of the previous Government, we are spending more than $300 million on education and training. There have been real increases in the education and training budget. What is more, the budget is being managed properly for the first time for a long time. That is why we can find the money for the initiatives in Peel and the $28 million for initiatives such as the behaviour management and discipline program. That is why we can find the money for literacy and numeracy programs. That is why, despite what opposition members say now, when the Opposition was in government the education system was abysmal. Completion rates declined under the coalition Government. On every measure, the performance in education declined under that Government. I know that the member for Darling Range has had a hard week, and I will not rub it in. No budget cuts have been made to education and training. The Government is proud that it has increased the education and training budget, just as it has increased funding to health and to community safety, because the Government has its priorities right. The new leader of the federal Labor Party, Mark Latham, talked about a ladder of opportunity. Through education and training in this State, the Government is providing a ladder of opportunity to people who would not otherwise have it. Several members interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: When the Opposition was in government, it kicked away the ladder.
The SPEAKER: Order, member for Peel! Mr N.R. MARLBOROUGH: Mr Speaker, with your forbearance I will run through the question again. I refer to a question asked last week by the member for Darling Range alleging $30 million in budget cuts to the Department of Education and Training budget. Will the minister confirm whether this is the case? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. I have reflected on the member’s contribution to education previously, so I will not repeat it. Last week the member for Darling Range asked whether I would confirm that on page 904 of the budget papers there was reference to a $30 million cut to the education and training budget and he asked me subsequent questions. I specifically asked what page number the member was referring to, because I was confident that there was no reference in the budget papers to a cut. I still challenge the member for Darling Range to find the word “cut” on page 904 of the budget papers. If he asks a question he should make sure he gets it right, because as the member for Kingsley found when she asked me a question about a question not being answered, I followed up on the detail, and the answer she sought had been provided but she had not realised it. There is no reference to a budget cut on page 904. As the member for Darling Range points out, there is a change to the budget allocations. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: This is a little window into the way those on the other side operated when they were in government and their lack of understanding about how the budget works. When an allocation within a budget portfolio is changed, that does not constitute a cut; it constitutes a change of the allocation within the portfolio. It is a completely different concept. Without pursuing the former Minister for Health and Police about his budgets, those opposite should look at the performance, in a fiscal sense, of the current Leader of the Opposition when he was Minister for Education. It was probably - I will stand corrected if he can find a better example - the worst performance, in a fiscal sense, of any Minister for Education in the history of this State. The facts of the matter are that this year’s budget is up by 4.21 per cent, which is $101 million over the budget from the previous year; the previous budget was an increase of 5.7 per cent. Therefore, over the past two years the budget for education and training has been significantly increased. Comparing this year’s budget with the last budget of the previous Government, we are spending more than $300 million on education and training. There have been real increases in the education and training budget. What is more, the budget is being managed properly for the first time for a long time. That is why we can find the money for the initiatives in Peel and the $28 million for initiatives such as the behaviour management and discipline program. That is why we can find the money for literacy and numeracy programs. That is why, despite what opposition members say now, when the Opposition was in government the education system was abysmal. Completion rates declined under the coalition Government. On every measure, the performance in education declined under that Government. I know that the member for Darling Range has had a hard week, and I will not rub it in. No budget cuts have been made to education and training. The Government is proud that it has increased the education and training budget, just as it has increased funding to health and to community safety, because the Government has its priorities right. The new leader of the federal Labor Party, Mark Latham, talked about a ladder of opportunity. Through education and training in this State, the Government is providing a ladder of opportunity to people who would not otherwise have it. Several members interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: When the Opposition was in government, it kicked away the ladder.
Mr N.R. MARLBOROUGH: Mr Speaker, with your forbearance I will run through the question again. I refer to a question asked last week by the member for Darling Range alleging $30 million in budget cuts to the Department of Education and Training budget. Will the minister confirm whether this is the case? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. I have reflected on the member’s contribution to education previously, so I will not repeat it. Last week the member for Darling Range asked whether I would confirm that on page 904 of the budget papers there was reference to a $30 million cut to the education and training budget and he asked me subsequent questions. I specifically asked what page number the member was referring to, because I was confident that there was no reference in the budget papers to a cut. I still challenge the member for Darling Range to find the word “cut” on page 904 of the budget papers. If he asks a question he should make sure he gets it right, because as the member for Kingsley found when she asked me a question about a question not being answered, I followed up on the detail, and the answer she sought had been provided but she had not realised it. There is no reference to a budget cut on page 904. As the member for Darling Range points out, there is a change to the budget allocations. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: This is a little window into the way those on the other side operated when they were in government and their lack of understanding about how the budget works. When an allocation within a budget portfolio is changed, that does not constitute a cut; it constitutes a change of the allocation within the portfolio. It is a completely different concept. Without pursuing the former Minister for Health and Police about his budgets, those opposite should look at the performance, in a fiscal sense, of the current Leader of the Opposition when he was Minister for Education. It was probably - I will stand corrected if he can find a better example - the worst performance, in a fiscal sense, of any Minister for Education in the history of this State. The facts of the matter are that this year’s budget is up by 4.21 per cent, which is $101 million over the budget from the previous year; the previous budget was an increase of 5.7 per cent. Therefore, over the past two years the budget for education and training has been significantly increased. Comparing this year’s budget with the last budget of the previous Government, we are spending more than $300 million on education and training. There have been real increases in the education and training budget. What is more, the budget is being managed properly for the first time for a long time. That is why we can find the money for the initiatives in Peel and the $28 million for initiatives such as the behaviour management and discipline program. That is why we can find the money for literacy and numeracy programs. That is why, despite what opposition members say now, when the Opposition was in government the education system was abysmal. Completion rates declined under the coalition Government. On every measure, the performance in education declined under that Government. I know that the member for Darling Range has had a hard week, and I will not rub it in. No budget cuts have been made to education and training. The Government is proud that it has increased the education and training budget, just as it has increased funding to health and to community safety, because the Government has its priorities right. The new leader of the federal Labor Party, Mark Latham, talked about a ladder of opportunity. Through education and training in this State, the Government is providing a ladder of opportunity to people who would not otherwise have it. Several members interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: When the Opposition was in government, it kicked away the ladder.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. I have reflected on the member’s contribution to education previously, so I will not repeat it. Last week the member for Darling Range asked whether I would confirm that on page 904 of the budget papers there was reference to a $30 million cut to the education and training budget and he asked me subsequent questions. I specifically asked what page number the member was referring to, because I was confident that there was no reference in the budget papers to a cut. I still challenge the member for Darling Range to find the word “cut” on page 904 of the budget papers. If he asks a question he should make sure he gets it right, because as the member for Kingsley found when she asked me a question about a question not being answered, I followed up on the detail, and the answer she sought had been provided but she had not realised it. There is no reference to a budget cut on page 904. As the member for Darling Range points out, there is a change to the budget allocations. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: This is a little window into the way those on the other side operated when they were in government and their lack of understanding about how the budget works. When an allocation within a budget portfolio is changed, that does not constitute a cut; it constitutes a change of the allocation within the portfolio. It is a completely different concept. Without pursuing the former Minister for Health and Police about his budgets, those opposite should look at the performance, in a fiscal sense, of the current Leader of the Opposition when he was Minister for Education. It was probably - I will stand corrected if he can find a better example - the worst performance, in a fiscal sense, of any Minister for Education in the history of this State. The facts of the matter are that this year’s budget is up by 4.21 per cent, which is $101 million over the budget from the previous year; the previous budget was an increase of 5.7 per cent. Therefore, over the past two years the budget for education and training has been significantly increased. Comparing this year’s budget with the last budget of the previous Government, we are spending more than $300 million on education and training. There have been real increases in the education and training budget. What is more, the budget is being managed properly for the first time for a long time. That is why we can find the money for the initiatives in Peel and the $28 million for initiatives such as the behaviour management and discipline program. That is why we can find the money for literacy and numeracy programs. That is why, despite what opposition members say now, when the Opposition was in government the education system was abysmal. Completion rates declined under the coalition Government. On every measure, the performance in education declined under that Government. I know that the member for Darling Range has had a hard week, and I will not rub it in. No budget cuts have been made to education and training. The Government is proud that it has increased the education and training budget, just as it has increased funding to health and to community safety, because the Government has its priorities right. The new leader of the federal Labor Party, Mark Latham, talked about a ladder of opportunity. Through education and training in this State, the Government is providing a ladder of opportunity to people who would not otherwise have it. Several members interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: When the Opposition was in government, it kicked away the ladder.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. I have reflected on the member’s contribution to education previously, so I will not repeat it. Last week the member for Darling Range asked whether I would confirm that on page 904 of the budget papers there was reference to a $30 million cut to the education and training budget and he asked me subsequent questions. I specifically asked what page number the member was referring to, because I was confident that there was no reference in the budget papers to a cut. I still challenge the member for Darling Range to find the word “cut” on page 904 of the budget papers. If he asks a question he should make sure he gets it right, because as the member for Kingsley found when she asked me a question about a question not being answered, I followed up on the detail, and the answer she sought had been provided but she had not realised it. There is no reference to a budget cut on page 904. As the member for Darling Range points out, there is a change to the budget allocations. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: This is a little window into the way those on the other side operated when they were in government and their lack of understanding about how the budget works. When an allocation within a budget portfolio is changed, that does not constitute a cut; it constitutes a change of the allocation within the portfolio. It is a completely different concept. Without pursuing the former Minister for Health and Police about his budgets, those opposite should look at the performance, in a fiscal sense, of the current Leader of the Opposition when he was Minister for Education. It was probably - I will stand corrected if he can find a better example - the worst performance, in a fiscal sense, of any Minister for Education in the history of this State. The facts of the matter are that this year’s budget is up by 4.21 per cent, which is $101 million over the budget from the previous year; the previous budget was an increase of 5.7 per cent. Therefore, over the past two years the budget for education and training has been significantly increased. Comparing this year’s budget with the last budget of the previous Government, we are spending more than $300 million on education and training. There have been real increases in the education and training budget. What is more, the budget is being managed properly for the first time for a long time. That is why we can find the money for the initiatives in Peel and the $28 million for initiatives such as the behaviour management and discipline program. That is why we can find the money for literacy and numeracy programs. That is why, despite what opposition members say now, when the Opposition was in government the education system was abysmal. Completion rates declined under the coalition Government. On every measure, the performance in education declined under that Government. I know that the member for Darling Range has had a hard week, and I will not rub it in. No budget cuts have been made to education and training. The Government is proud that it has increased the education and training budget, just as it has increased funding to health and to community safety, because the Government has its priorities right. The new leader of the federal Labor Party, Mark Latham, talked about a ladder of opportunity. Through education and training in this State, the Government is providing a ladder of opportunity to people who would not otherwise have it. Several members interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: When the Opposition was in government, it kicked away the ladder.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: This is a little window into the way those on the other side operated when they were in government and their lack of understanding about how the budget works. When an allocation within a budget portfolio is changed, that does not constitute a cut; it constitutes a change of the allocation within the portfolio. It is a completely different concept. Without pursuing the former Minister for Health and Police about his budgets, those opposite should look at the performance, in a fiscal sense, of the current Leader of the Opposition when he was Minister for Education. It was probably - I will stand corrected if he can find a better example - the worst performance, in a fiscal sense, of any Minister for Education in the history of this State. The facts of the matter are that this year’s budget is up by 4.21 per cent, which is $101 million over the budget from the previous year; the previous budget was an increase of 5.7 per cent. Therefore, over the past two years the budget for education and training has been significantly increased. Comparing this year’s budget with the last budget of the previous Government, we are spending more than $300 million on education and training. There have been real increases in the education and training budget. What is more, the budget is being managed properly for the first time for a long time. That is why we can find the money for the initiatives in Peel and the $28 million for initiatives such as the behaviour management and discipline program. That is why we can find the money for literacy and numeracy programs. That is why, despite what opposition members say now, when the Opposition was in government the education system was abysmal. Completion rates declined under the coalition Government. On every measure, the performance in education declined under that Government. I know that the member for Darling Range has had a hard week, and I will not rub it in. No budget cuts have been made to education and training. The Government is proud that it has increased the education and training budget, just as it has increased funding to health and to community safety, because the Government has its priorities right. The new leader of the federal Labor Party, Mark Latham, talked about a ladder of opportunity. Through education and training in this State, the Government is providing a ladder of opportunity to people who would not otherwise have it. Several members interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: When the Opposition was in government, it kicked away the ladder.
The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: This is a little window into the way those on the other side operated when they were in government and their lack of understanding about how the budget works. When an allocation within a budget portfolio is changed, that does not constitute a cut; it constitutes a change of the allocation within the portfolio. It is a completely different concept. Without pursuing the former Minister for Health and Police about his budgets, those opposite should look at the performance, in a fiscal sense, of the current Leader of the Opposition when he was Minister for Education. It was probably - I will stand corrected if he can find a better example - the worst performance, in a fiscal sense, of any Minister for Education in the history of this State. The facts of the matter are that this year’s budget is up by 4.21 per cent, which is $101 million over the budget from the previous year; the previous budget was an increase of 5.7 per cent. Therefore, over the past two years the budget for education and training has been significantly increased. Comparing this year’s budget with the last budget of the previous Government, we are spending more than $300 million on education and training. There have been real increases in the education and training budget. What is more, the budget is being managed properly for the first time for a long time. That is why we can find the money for the initiatives in Peel and the $28 million for initiatives such as the behaviour management and discipline program. That is why we can find the money for literacy and numeracy programs. That is why, despite what opposition members say now, when the Opposition was in government the education system was abysmal. Completion rates declined under the coalition Government. On every measure, the performance in education declined under that Government. I know that the member for Darling Range has had a hard week, and I will not rub it in. No budget cuts have been made to education and training. The Government is proud that it has increased the education and training budget, just as it has increased funding to health and to community safety, because the Government has its priorities right. The new leader of the federal Labor Party, Mark Latham, talked about a ladder of opportunity. Through education and training in this State, the Government is providing a ladder of opportunity to people who would not otherwise have it. Several members interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: When the Opposition was in government, it kicked away the ladder.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER: This is a little window into the way those on the other side operated when they were in government and their lack of understanding about how the budget works. When an allocation within a budget portfolio is changed, that does not constitute a cut; it constitutes a change of the allocation within the portfolio. It is a completely different concept. Without pursuing the former Minister for Health and Police about his budgets, those opposite should look at the performance, in a fiscal sense, of the current Leader of the Opposition when he was Minister for Education. It was probably - I will stand corrected if he can find a better example - the worst performance, in a fiscal sense, of any Minister for Education in the history of this State. The facts of the matter are that this year’s budget is up by 4.21 per cent, which is $101 million over the budget from the previous year; the previous budget was an increase of 5.7 per cent. Therefore, over the past two years the budget for education and training has been significantly increased. Comparing this year’s budget with the last budget of the previous Government, we are spending more than $300 million on education and training. There have been real increases in the education and training budget. What is more, the budget is being managed properly for the first time for a long time. That is why we can find the money for the initiatives in Peel and the $28 million for initiatives such as the behaviour management and discipline program. That is why we can find the money for literacy and numeracy programs. That is why, despite what opposition members say now, when the Opposition was in government the education system was abysmal. Completion rates declined under the coalition Government. On every measure, the performance in education declined under that Government. I know that the member for Darling Range has had a hard week, and I will not rub it in. No budget cuts have been made to education and training. The Government is proud that it has increased the education and training budget, just as it has increased funding to health and to community safety, because the Government has its priorities right. The new leader of the federal Labor Party, Mark Latham, talked about a ladder of opportunity. Through education and training in this State, the Government is providing a ladder of opportunity to people who would not otherwise have it. Several members interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: When the Opposition was in government, it kicked away the ladder.
The facts of the matter are that this year’s budget is up by 4.21 per cent, which is $101 million over the budget from the previous year; the previous budget was an increase of 5.7 per cent. Therefore, over the past two years the budget for education and training has been significantly increased. Comparing this year’s budget with the last budget of the previous Government, we are spending more than $300 million on education and training. There have been real increases in the education and training budget. What is more, the budget is being managed properly for the first time for a long time. That is why we can find the money for the initiatives in Peel and the $28 million for initiatives such as the behaviour management and discipline program. That is why we can find the money for literacy and numeracy programs. That is why, despite what opposition members say now, when the Opposition was in government the education system was abysmal. Completion rates declined under the coalition Government. On every measure, the performance in education declined under that Government. I know that the member for Darling Range has had a hard week, and I will not rub it in. No budget cuts have been made to education and training. The Government is proud that it has increased the education and training budget, just as it has increased funding to health and to community safety, because the Government has its priorities right. The new leader of the federal Labor Party, Mark Latham, talked about a ladder of opportunity. Through education and training in this State, the Government is providing a ladder of opportunity to people who would not otherwise have it. Several members interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: When the Opposition was in government, it kicked away the ladder.
The new leader of the federal Labor Party, Mark Latham, talked about a ladder of opportunity. Through education and training in this State, the Government is providing a ladder of opportunity to people who would not otherwise have it. Several members interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: When the Opposition was in government, it kicked away the ladder.
Several members interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: When the Opposition was in government, it kicked away the ladder.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER: When the Opposition was in government, it kicked away the ladder.
Mr J.H.D. Day: It is on page 904 of the budget papers. Mr N.R. MARLBOROUGH: I thought the member was saying $904 million. Is the member counting for the member for Cottesloe at the moment? The SPEAKER: Order! Mr N.R. MARLBOROUGH: I did not know that the member for Cottesloe had the same - The SPEAKER: Order, member for Peel! Mr N.R. MARLBOROUGH: Mr Speaker, with your forbearance I will run through the question again. I refer to a question asked last week by the member for Darling Range alleging $30 million in budget cuts to the Department of Education and Training budget. Will the minister confirm whether this is the case? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. I have reflected on the member’s contribution to education previously, so I will not repeat it. Last week the member for Darling Range asked whether I would confirm that on page 904 of the budget papers there was reference to a $30 million cut to the education and training budget and he asked me subsequent questions. I specifically asked what page number the member was referring to, because I was confident that there was no reference in the budget papers to a cut. I still challenge the member for Darling Range to find the word “cut” on page 904 of the budget papers. If he asks a question he should make sure he gets it right, because as the member for Kingsley found when she asked me a question about a question not being answered, I followed up on the detail, and the answer she sought had been provided but she had not realised it. There is no reference to a budget cut on page 904. As the member for Darling Range points out, there is a change to the budget allocations. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: This is a little window into the way those on the other side operated when they were in government and their lack of understanding about how the budget works. When an allocation within a budget portfolio is changed, that does not constitute a cut; it constitutes a change of the allocation within the portfolio. It is a completely different concept. Without pursuing the former Minister for Health and Police about his budgets, those opposite should look at the performance, in a fiscal sense, of the current Leader of the Opposition when he was Minister for Education. It was probably - I will stand corrected if he can find a better example - the worst performance, in a fiscal sense, of any Minister for Education in the history of this State. The facts of the matter are that this year’s budget is up by 4.21 per cent, which is $101 million over the budget from the previous year; the previous budget was an increase of 5.7 per cent. Therefore, over the past two years the budget for education and training has been significantly increased. Comparing this year’s budget with the last budget of the previous Government, we are spending more than $300 million on education and training. There have been real increases in the education and training budget. What is more, the budget is being managed properly for the first time for a long time. That is why we can find the money for the initiatives in Peel and the $28 million for initiatives such as the behaviour management and discipline program. That is why we can find the money for literacy and numeracy programs. That is why, despite what opposition members say now, when the Opposition was in government the education system was abysmal. Completion rates declined under the coalition Government. On every measure, the performance in education declined under that Government. I know that the member for Darling Range has had a hard week, and I will not rub it in. No budget cuts have been made to education and training. The Government is proud that it has increased the education and training budget, just as it has increased funding to health and to community safety, because the Government has its priorities right. The new leader of the federal Labor Party, Mark Latham, talked about a ladder of opportunity. Through education and training in this State, the Government is providing a ladder of opportunity to people who would not otherwise have it. Several members interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: When the Opposition was in government, it kicked away the ladder.
Mr N.R. MARLBOROUGH: I thought the member was saying $904 million. Is the member counting for the member for Cottesloe at the moment? The SPEAKER: Order! Mr N.R. MARLBOROUGH: I did not know that the member for Cottesloe had the same - The SPEAKER: Order, member for Peel! Mr N.R. MARLBOROUGH: Mr Speaker, with your forbearance I will run through the question again. I refer to a question asked last week by the member for Darling Range alleging $30 million in budget cuts to the Department of Education and Training budget. Will the minister confirm whether this is the case? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. I have reflected on the member’s contribution to education previously, so I will not repeat it. Last week the member for Darling Range asked whether I would confirm that on page 904 of the budget papers there was reference to a $30 million cut to the education and training budget and he asked me subsequent questions. I specifically asked what page number the member was referring to, because I was confident that there was no reference in the budget papers to a cut. I still challenge the member for Darling Range to find the word “cut” on page 904 of the budget papers. If he asks a question he should make sure he gets it right, because as the member for Kingsley found when she asked me a question about a question not being answered, I followed up on the detail, and the answer she sought had been provided but she had not realised it. There is no reference to a budget cut on page 904. As the member for Darling Range points out, there is a change to the budget allocations. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: This is a little window into the way those on the other side operated when they were in government and their lack of understanding about how the budget works. When an allocation within a budget portfolio is changed, that does not constitute a cut; it constitutes a change of the allocation within the portfolio. It is a completely different concept. Without pursuing the former Minister for Health and Police about his budgets, those opposite should look at the performance, in a fiscal sense, of the current Leader of the Opposition when he was Minister for Education. It was probably - I will stand corrected if he can find a better example - the worst performance, in a fiscal sense, of any Minister for Education in the history of this State. The facts of the matter are that this year’s budget is up by 4.21 per cent, which is $101 million over the budget from the previous year; the previous budget was an increase of 5.7 per cent. Therefore, over the past two years the budget for education and training has been significantly increased. Comparing this year’s budget with the last budget of the previous Government, we are spending more than $300 million on education and training. There have been real increases in the education and training budget. What is more, the budget is being managed properly for the first time for a long time. That is why we can find the money for the initiatives in Peel and the $28 million for initiatives such as the behaviour management and discipline program. That is why we can find the money for literacy and numeracy programs. That is why, despite what opposition members say now, when the Opposition was in government the education system was abysmal. Completion rates declined under the coalition Government. On every measure, the performance in education declined under that Government. I know that the member for Darling Range has had a hard week, and I will not rub it in. No budget cuts have been made to education and training. The Government is proud that it has increased the education and training budget, just as it has increased funding to health and to community safety, because the Government has its priorities right. The new leader of the federal Labor Party, Mark Latham, talked about a ladder of opportunity. Through education and training in this State, the Government is providing a ladder of opportunity to people who would not otherwise have it. Several members interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: When the Opposition was in government, it kicked away the ladder.
The SPEAKER: Order! Mr N.R. MARLBOROUGH: I did not know that the member for Cottesloe had the same - The SPEAKER: Order, member for Peel! Mr N.R. MARLBOROUGH: Mr Speaker, with your forbearance I will run through the question again. I refer to a question asked last week by the member for Darling Range alleging $30 million in budget cuts to the Department of Education and Training budget. Will the minister confirm whether this is the case? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. I have reflected on the member’s contribution to education previously, so I will not repeat it. Last week the member for Darling Range asked whether I would confirm that on page 904 of the budget papers there was reference to a $30 million cut to the education and training budget and he asked me subsequent questions. I specifically asked what page number the member was referring to, because I was confident that there was no reference in the budget papers to a cut. I still challenge the member for Darling Range to find the word “cut” on page 904 of the budget papers. If he asks a question he should make sure he gets it right, because as the member for Kingsley found when she asked me a question about a question not being answered, I followed up on the detail, and the answer she sought had been provided but she had not realised it. There is no reference to a budget cut on page 904. As the member for Darling Range points out, there is a change to the budget allocations. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: This is a little window into the way those on the other side operated when they were in government and their lack of understanding about how the budget works. When an allocation within a budget portfolio is changed, that does not constitute a cut; it constitutes a change of the allocation within the portfolio. It is a completely different concept. Without pursuing the former Minister for Health and Police about his budgets, those opposite should look at the performance, in a fiscal sense, of the current Leader of the Opposition when he was Minister for Education. It was probably - I will stand corrected if he can find a better example - the worst performance, in a fiscal sense, of any Minister for Education in the history of this State. The facts of the matter are that this year’s budget is up by 4.21 per cent, which is $101 million over the budget from the previous year; the previous budget was an increase of 5.7 per cent. Therefore, over the past two years the budget for education and training has been significantly increased. Comparing this year’s budget with the last budget of the previous Government, we are spending more than $300 million on education and training. There have been real increases in the education and training budget. What is more, the budget is being managed properly for the first time for a long time. That is why we can find the money for the initiatives in Peel and the $28 million for initiatives such as the behaviour management and discipline program. That is why we can find the money for literacy and numeracy programs. That is why, despite what opposition members say now, when the Opposition was in government the education system was abysmal. Completion rates declined under the coalition Government. On every measure, the performance in education declined under that Government. I know that the member for Darling Range has had a hard week, and I will not rub it in. No budget cuts have been made to education and training. The Government is proud that it has increased the education and training budget, just as it has increased funding to health and to community safety, because the Government has its priorities right. The new leader of the federal Labor Party, Mark Latham, talked about a ladder of opportunity. Through education and training in this State, the Government is providing a ladder of opportunity to people who would not otherwise have it. Several members interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: When the Opposition was in government, it kicked away the ladder.
Mr N.R. MARLBOROUGH: I did not know that the member for Cottesloe had the same - The SPEAKER: Order, member for Peel! Mr N.R. MARLBOROUGH: Mr Speaker, with your forbearance I will run through the question again. I refer to a question asked last week by the member for Darling Range alleging $30 million in budget cuts to the Department of Education and Training budget. Will the minister confirm whether this is the case? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. I have reflected on the member’s contribution to education previously, so I will not repeat it. Last week the member for Darling Range asked whether I would confirm that on page 904 of the budget papers there was reference to a $30 million cut to the education and training budget and he asked me subsequent questions. I specifically asked what page number the member was referring to, because I was confident that there was no reference in the budget papers to a cut. I still challenge the member for Darling Range to find the word “cut” on page 904 of the budget papers. If he asks a question he should make sure he gets it right, because as the member for Kingsley found when she asked me a question about a question not being answered, I followed up on the detail, and the answer she sought had been provided but she had not realised it. There is no reference to a budget cut on page 904. As the member for Darling Range points out, there is a change to the budget allocations. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: This is a little window into the way those on the other side operated when they were in government and their lack of understanding about how the budget works. When an allocation within a budget portfolio is changed, that does not constitute a cut; it constitutes a change of the allocation within the portfolio. It is a completely different concept. Without pursuing the former Minister for Health and Police about his budgets, those opposite should look at the performance, in a fiscal sense, of the current Leader of the Opposition when he was Minister for Education. It was probably - I will stand corrected if he can find a better example - the worst performance, in a fiscal sense, of any Minister for Education in the history of this State. The facts of the matter are that this year’s budget is up by 4.21 per cent, which is $101 million over the budget from the previous year; the previous budget was an increase of 5.7 per cent. Therefore, over the past two years the budget for education and training has been significantly increased. Comparing this year’s budget with the last budget of the previous Government, we are spending more than $300 million on education and training. There have been real increases in the education and training budget. What is more, the budget is being managed properly for the first time for a long time. That is why we can find the money for the initiatives in Peel and the $28 million for initiatives such as the behaviour management and discipline program. That is why we can find the money for literacy and numeracy programs. That is why, despite what opposition members say now, when the Opposition was in government the education system was abysmal. Completion rates declined under the coalition Government. On every measure, the performance in education declined under that Government. I know that the member for Darling Range has had a hard week, and I will not rub it in. No budget cuts have been made to education and training. The Government is proud that it has increased the education and training budget, just as it has increased funding to health and to community safety, because the Government has its priorities right. The new leader of the federal Labor Party, Mark Latham, talked about a ladder of opportunity. Through education and training in this State, the Government is providing a ladder of opportunity to people who would not otherwise have it. Several members interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: When the Opposition was in government, it kicked away the ladder.
The SPEAKER: Order, member for Peel! Mr N.R. MARLBOROUGH: Mr Speaker, with your forbearance I will run through the question again. I refer to a question asked last week by the member for Darling Range alleging $30 million in budget cuts to the Department of Education and Training budget. Will the minister confirm whether this is the case? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. I have reflected on the member’s contribution to education previously, so I will not repeat it. Last week the member for Darling Range asked whether I would confirm that on page 904 of the budget papers there was reference to a $30 million cut to the education and training budget and he asked me subsequent questions. I specifically asked what page number the member was referring to, because I was confident that there was no reference in the budget papers to a cut. I still challenge the member for Darling Range to find the word “cut” on page 904 of the budget papers. If he asks a question he should make sure he gets it right, because as the member for Kingsley found when she asked me a question about a question not being answered, I followed up on the detail, and the answer she sought had been provided but she had not realised it. There is no reference to a budget cut on page 904. As the member for Darling Range points out, there is a change to the budget allocations. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: This is a little window into the way those on the other side operated when they were in government and their lack of understanding about how the budget works. When an allocation within a budget portfolio is changed, that does not constitute a cut; it constitutes a change of the allocation within the portfolio. It is a completely different concept. Without pursuing the former Minister for Health and Police about his budgets, those opposite should look at the performance, in a fiscal sense, of the current Leader of the Opposition when he was Minister for Education. It was probably - I will stand corrected if he can find a better example - the worst performance, in a fiscal sense, of any Minister for Education in the history of this State. The facts of the matter are that this year’s budget is up by 4.21 per cent, which is $101 million over the budget from the previous year; the previous budget was an increase of 5.7 per cent. Therefore, over the past two years the budget for education and training has been significantly increased. Comparing this year’s budget with the last budget of the previous Government, we are spending more than $300 million on education and training. There have been real increases in the education and training budget. What is more, the budget is being managed properly for the first time for a long time. That is why we can find the money for the initiatives in Peel and the $28 million for initiatives such as the behaviour management and discipline program. That is why we can find the money for literacy and numeracy programs. That is why, despite what opposition members say now, when the Opposition was in government the education system was abysmal. Completion rates declined under the coalition Government. On every measure, the performance in education declined under that Government. I know that the member for Darling Range has had a hard week, and I will not rub it in. No budget cuts have been made to education and training. The Government is proud that it has increased the education and training budget, just as it has increased funding to health and to community safety, because the Government has its priorities right. The new leader of the federal Labor Party, Mark Latham, talked about a ladder of opportunity. Through education and training in this State, the Government is providing a ladder of opportunity to people who would not otherwise have it. Several members interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: When the Opposition was in government, it kicked away the ladder.
Mr N.R. MARLBOROUGH: Mr Speaker, with your forbearance I will run through the question again. I refer to a question asked last week by the member for Darling Range alleging $30 million in budget cuts to the Department of Education and Training budget. Will the minister confirm whether this is the case? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. I have reflected on the member’s contribution to education previously, so I will not repeat it. Last week the member for Darling Range asked whether I would confirm that on page 904 of the budget papers there was reference to a $30 million cut to the education and training budget and he asked me subsequent questions. I specifically asked what page number the member was referring to, because I was confident that there was no reference in the budget papers to a cut. I still challenge the member for Darling Range to find the word “cut” on page 904 of the budget papers. If he asks a question he should make sure he gets it right, because as the member for Kingsley found when she asked me a question about a question not being answered, I followed up on the detail, and the answer she sought had been provided but she had not realised it. There is no reference to a budget cut on page 904. As the member for Darling Range points out, there is a change to the budget allocations. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: This is a little window into the way those on the other side operated when they were in government and their lack of understanding about how the budget works. When an allocation within a budget portfolio is changed, that does not constitute a cut; it constitutes a change of the allocation within the portfolio. It is a completely different concept. Without pursuing the former Minister for Health and Police about his budgets, those opposite should look at the performance, in a fiscal sense, of the current Leader of the Opposition when he was Minister for Education. It was probably - I will stand corrected if he can find a better example - the worst performance, in a fiscal sense, of any Minister for Education in the history of this State. The facts of the matter are that this year’s budget is up by 4.21 per cent, which is $101 million over the budget from the previous year; the previous budget was an increase of 5.7 per cent. Therefore, over the past two years the budget for education and training has been significantly increased. Comparing this year’s budget with the last budget of the previous Government, we are spending more than $300 million on education and training. There have been real increases in the education and training budget. What is more, the budget is being managed properly for the first time for a long time. That is why we can find the money for the initiatives in Peel and the $28 million for initiatives such as the behaviour management and discipline program. That is why we can find the money for literacy and numeracy programs. That is why, despite what opposition members say now, when the Opposition was in government the education system was abysmal. Completion rates declined under the coalition Government. On every measure, the performance in education declined under that Government. I know that the member for Darling Range has had a hard week, and I will not rub it in. No budget cuts have been made to education and training. The Government is proud that it has increased the education and training budget, just as it has increased funding to health and to community safety, because the Government has its priorities right. The new leader of the federal Labor Party, Mark Latham, talked about a ladder of opportunity. Through education and training in this State, the Government is providing a ladder of opportunity to people who would not otherwise have it. Several members interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: When the Opposition was in government, it kicked away the ladder.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. I have reflected on the member’s contribution to education previously, so I will not repeat it. Last week the member for Darling Range asked whether I would confirm that on page 904 of the budget papers there was reference to a $30 million cut to the education and training budget and he asked me subsequent questions. I specifically asked what page number the member was referring to, because I was confident that there was no reference in the budget papers to a cut. I still challenge the member for Darling Range to find the word “cut” on page 904 of the budget papers. If he asks a question he should make sure he gets it right, because as the member for Kingsley found when she asked me a question about a question not being answered, I followed up on the detail, and the answer she sought had been provided but she had not realised it. There is no reference to a budget cut on page 904. As the member for Darling Range points out, there is a change to the budget allocations. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: This is a little window into the way those on the other side operated when they were in government and their lack of understanding about how the budget works. When an allocation within a budget portfolio is changed, that does not constitute a cut; it constitutes a change of the allocation within the portfolio. It is a completely different concept. Without pursuing the former Minister for Health and Police about his budgets, those opposite should look at the performance, in a fiscal sense, of the current Leader of the Opposition when he was Minister for Education. It was probably - I will stand corrected if he can find a better example - the worst performance, in a fiscal sense, of any Minister for Education in the history of this State. The facts of the matter are that this year’s budget is up by 4.21 per cent, which is $101 million over the budget from the previous year; the previous budget was an increase of 5.7 per cent. Therefore, over the past two years the budget for education and training has been significantly increased. Comparing this year’s budget with the last budget of the previous Government, we are spending more than $300 million on education and training. There have been real increases in the education and training budget. What is more, the budget is being managed properly for the first time for a long time. That is why we can find the money for the initiatives in Peel and the $28 million for initiatives such as the behaviour management and discipline program. That is why we can find the money for literacy and numeracy programs. That is why, despite what opposition members say now, when the Opposition was in government the education system was abysmal. Completion rates declined under the coalition Government. On every measure, the performance in education declined under that Government. I know that the member for Darling Range has had a hard week, and I will not rub it in. No budget cuts have been made to education and training. The Government is proud that it has increased the education and training budget, just as it has increased funding to health and to community safety, because the Government has its priorities right. The new leader of the federal Labor Party, Mark Latham, talked about a ladder of opportunity. Through education and training in this State, the Government is providing a ladder of opportunity to people who would not otherwise have it. Several members interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: When the Opposition was in government, it kicked away the ladder.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. I have reflected on the member’s contribution to education previously, so I will not repeat it. Last week the member for Darling Range asked whether I would confirm that on page 904 of the budget papers there was reference to a $30 million cut to the education and training budget and he asked me subsequent questions. I specifically asked what page number the member was referring to, because I was confident that there was no reference in the budget papers to a cut. I still challenge the member for Darling Range to find the word “cut” on page 904 of the budget papers. If he asks a question he should make sure he gets it right, because as the member for Kingsley found when she asked me a question about a question not being answered, I followed up on the detail, and the answer she sought had been provided but she had not realised it. There is no reference to a budget cut on page 904. As the member for Darling Range points out, there is a change to the budget allocations. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: This is a little window into the way those on the other side operated when they were in government and their lack of understanding about how the budget works. When an allocation within a budget portfolio is changed, that does not constitute a cut; it constitutes a change of the allocation within the portfolio. It is a completely different concept. Without pursuing the former Minister for Health and Police about his budgets, those opposite should look at the performance, in a fiscal sense, of the current Leader of the Opposition when he was Minister for Education. It was probably - I will stand corrected if he can find a better example - the worst performance, in a fiscal sense, of any Minister for Education in the history of this State. The facts of the matter are that this year’s budget is up by 4.21 per cent, which is $101 million over the budget from the previous year; the previous budget was an increase of 5.7 per cent. Therefore, over the past two years the budget for education and training has been significantly increased. Comparing this year’s budget with the last budget of the previous Government, we are spending more than $300 million on education and training. There have been real increases in the education and training budget. What is more, the budget is being managed properly for the first time for a long time. That is why we can find the money for the initiatives in Peel and the $28 million for initiatives such as the behaviour management and discipline program. That is why we can find the money for literacy and numeracy programs. That is why, despite what opposition members say now, when the Opposition was in government the education system was abysmal. Completion rates declined under the coalition Government. On every measure, the performance in education declined under that Government. I know that the member for Darling Range has had a hard week, and I will not rub it in. No budget cuts have been made to education and training. The Government is proud that it has increased the education and training budget, just as it has increased funding to health and to community safety, because the Government has its priorities right. The new leader of the federal Labor Party, Mark Latham, talked about a ladder of opportunity. Through education and training in this State, the Government is providing a ladder of opportunity to people who would not otherwise have it. Several members interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: When the Opposition was in government, it kicked away the ladder.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: This is a little window into the way those on the other side operated when they were in government and their lack of understanding about how the budget works. When an allocation within a budget portfolio is changed, that does not constitute a cut; it constitutes a change of the allocation within the portfolio. It is a completely different concept. Without pursuing the former Minister for Health and Police about his budgets, those opposite should look at the performance, in a fiscal sense, of the current Leader of the Opposition when he was Minister for Education. It was probably - I will stand corrected if he can find a better example - the worst performance, in a fiscal sense, of any Minister for Education in the history of this State. The facts of the matter are that this year’s budget is up by 4.21 per cent, which is $101 million over the budget from the previous year; the previous budget was an increase of 5.7 per cent. Therefore, over the past two years the budget for education and training has been significantly increased. Comparing this year’s budget with the last budget of the previous Government, we are spending more than $300 million on education and training. There have been real increases in the education and training budget. What is more, the budget is being managed properly for the first time for a long time. That is why we can find the money for the initiatives in Peel and the $28 million for initiatives such as the behaviour management and discipline program. That is why we can find the money for literacy and numeracy programs. That is why, despite what opposition members say now, when the Opposition was in government the education system was abysmal. Completion rates declined under the coalition Government. On every measure, the performance in education declined under that Government. I know that the member for Darling Range has had a hard week, and I will not rub it in. No budget cuts have been made to education and training. The Government is proud that it has increased the education and training budget, just as it has increased funding to health and to community safety, because the Government has its priorities right. The new leader of the federal Labor Party, Mark Latham, talked about a ladder of opportunity. Through education and training in this State, the Government is providing a ladder of opportunity to people who would not otherwise have it. Several members interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: When the Opposition was in government, it kicked away the ladder.
The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: This is a little window into the way those on the other side operated when they were in government and their lack of understanding about how the budget works. When an allocation within a budget portfolio is changed, that does not constitute a cut; it constitutes a change of the allocation within the portfolio. It is a completely different concept. Without pursuing the former Minister for Health and Police about his budgets, those opposite should look at the performance, in a fiscal sense, of the current Leader of the Opposition when he was Minister for Education. It was probably - I will stand corrected if he can find a better example - the worst performance, in a fiscal sense, of any Minister for Education in the history of this State. The facts of the matter are that this year’s budget is up by 4.21 per cent, which is $101 million over the budget from the previous year; the previous budget was an increase of 5.7 per cent. Therefore, over the past two years the budget for education and training has been significantly increased. Comparing this year’s budget with the last budget of the previous Government, we are spending more than $300 million on education and training. There have been real increases in the education and training budget. What is more, the budget is being managed properly for the first time for a long time. That is why we can find the money for the initiatives in Peel and the $28 million for initiatives such as the behaviour management and discipline program. That is why we can find the money for literacy and numeracy programs. That is why, despite what opposition members say now, when the Opposition was in government the education system was abysmal. Completion rates declined under the coalition Government. On every measure, the performance in education declined under that Government. I know that the member for Darling Range has had a hard week, and I will not rub it in. No budget cuts have been made to education and training. The Government is proud that it has increased the education and training budget, just as it has increased funding to health and to community safety, because the Government has its priorities right. The new leader of the federal Labor Party, Mark Latham, talked about a ladder of opportunity. Through education and training in this State, the Government is providing a ladder of opportunity to people who would not otherwise have it. Several members interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: When the Opposition was in government, it kicked away the ladder.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER: This is a little window into the way those on the other side operated when they were in government and their lack of understanding about how the budget works. When an allocation within a budget portfolio is changed, that does not constitute a cut; it constitutes a change of the allocation within the portfolio. It is a completely different concept. Without pursuing the former Minister for Health and Police about his budgets, those opposite should look at the performance, in a fiscal sense, of the current Leader of the Opposition when he was Minister for Education. It was probably - I will stand corrected if he can find a better example - the worst performance, in a fiscal sense, of any Minister for Education in the history of this State. The facts of the matter are that this year’s budget is up by 4.21 per cent, which is $101 million over the budget from the previous year; the previous budget was an increase of 5.7 per cent. Therefore, over the past two years the budget for education and training has been significantly increased. Comparing this year’s budget with the last budget of the previous Government, we are spending more than $300 million on education and training. There have been real increases in the education and training budget. What is more, the budget is being managed properly for the first time for a long time. That is why we can find the money for the initiatives in Peel and the $28 million for initiatives such as the behaviour management and discipline program. That is why we can find the money for literacy and numeracy programs. That is why, despite what opposition members say now, when the Opposition was in government the education system was abysmal. Completion rates declined under the coalition Government. On every measure, the performance in education declined under that Government. I know that the member for Darling Range has had a hard week, and I will not rub it in. No budget cuts have been made to education and training. The Government is proud that it has increased the education and training budget, just as it has increased funding to health and to community safety, because the Government has its priorities right. The new leader of the federal Labor Party, Mark Latham, talked about a ladder of opportunity. Through education and training in this State, the Government is providing a ladder of opportunity to people who would not otherwise have it. Several members interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: When the Opposition was in government, it kicked away the ladder.
The facts of the matter are that this year’s budget is up by 4.21 per cent, which is $101 million over the budget from the previous year; the previous budget was an increase of 5.7 per cent. Therefore, over the past two years the budget for education and training has been significantly increased. Comparing this year’s budget with the last budget of the previous Government, we are spending more than $300 million on education and training. There have been real increases in the education and training budget. What is more, the budget is being managed properly for the first time for a long time. That is why we can find the money for the initiatives in Peel and the $28 million for initiatives such as the behaviour management and discipline program. That is why we can find the money for literacy and numeracy programs. That is why, despite what opposition members say now, when the Opposition was in government the education system was abysmal. Completion rates declined under the coalition Government. On every measure, the performance in education declined under that Government. I know that the member for Darling Range has had a hard week, and I will not rub it in. No budget cuts have been made to education and training. The Government is proud that it has increased the education and training budget, just as it has increased funding to health and to community safety, because the Government has its priorities right. The new leader of the federal Labor Party, Mark Latham, talked about a ladder of opportunity. Through education and training in this State, the Government is providing a ladder of opportunity to people who would not otherwise have it. Several members interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: When the Opposition was in government, it kicked away the ladder.
The new leader of the federal Labor Party, Mark Latham, talked about a ladder of opportunity. Through education and training in this State, the Government is providing a ladder of opportunity to people who would not otherwise have it. Several members interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: When the Opposition was in government, it kicked away the ladder.
Several members interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: When the Opposition was in government, it kicked away the ladder.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER: When the Opposition was in government, it kicked away the ladder.
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