❓ The Minister for Regional Development responds to a question about the government's support for regional education, highlighting investments and contrasting them with the opposition's perceived lack of commitment.
AnsweredQoN 923Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
REGIONAL EDUCATION
923. Ms W.M. DUNCAN to the Minister for
Regional Development:
Can the minister please update the
house on the Liberal–National government's continued support
for regional education?
923. Ms W.M. DUNCAN to the Minister for
Regional Development:
Can the minister please update the
house on the Liberal–National government's continued support
for regional education?
AnswerView source ↗
Thank you very much, member for Kalgoorlie,
for the question. I would like to pay tribute to the member and her ongoing
commitment in the time she has been in this place for not only regional Western
Australia but also regional education as a strategy for improving the capacity
of regional people and therefore the long-term sustainability of regional Western
Australia. Thank you very much, member for Kalgoorlie.
I heard with interest recently the
Leader of the Opposition make an announcement about the opposition's
big commitment to regional education. He made a number of comments such as, ''Regional
students have the right to a quality education and the support they need.''
He also said, ''We're going to fund education initiatives that
will support families and regional communities.'' He went on to say, ''Families
shouldn't have to leave regional towns and move to the city to go to
school.'' Those comments sound great and, for the first time, I can say
that I absolutely agree, and I stand proudly in this place agreeing with the
Leader of the Opposition.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : That is enough!
Mr
D.T. REDMAN : The Leader of the Opposition committed to introducing
independent learning coordinators in 10 regional schools. There are 313
regional schools in Western Australia and he will introduce independent
learning coordinators to 10 schools to show his commitment. That comes to the
sum total of $2.5 million a year, just as the opposition says on jobs policy,
they are up-front motherhood statements, but when it comes to commitment it is
as hollow as. We can trust the Liberal–National government's
record in investing in regional Western Australia, particularly regional
education. Just the royalties for regions component, which is not all
investments and not all initiatives, has invested $350 million into regional
schools and early childhood education; over $100 million rebuilding schools—schools
that were left to decay by the opposition—including $10 million into
Broome Senior High School; $3 million into Collie and, of course, into Kalgoorlie,
the member for Kalgoorlie's electorate; more than $40 million to assist
in the transition of year 7 students into Bunbury, Margaret River and Mandurah;
and $25 million into residential colleges to support people staying in regional
Western Australia to access quality education; and other programs such as $5 million
for the Better Beginnings early literacy program; $11 million supporting school
buses and air conditioning; $3 million into Clontarf academies; and $1.3 million
for a regional school breakfast program. I come back to the point that all we
hear from the opposition, just as we have heard on its other policies so far,
are motherhood statements before the election and lack of commitment after the
election.
I finish on this note: there is one
good thing about the policy that the Labor Party is bringing on regional
education; that is, it fits on a tweet! If the Labor Party's policy can
fit on a tweet, it is good for regional Western Australia. If this is a sign of
things to come, I look forward to this election campaign.
for the question. I would like to pay tribute to the member and her ongoing
commitment in the time she has been in this place for not only regional Western
Australia but also regional education as a strategy for improving the capacity
of regional people and therefore the long-term sustainability of regional Western
Australia. Thank you very much, member for Kalgoorlie.
I heard with interest recently the
Leader of the Opposition make an announcement about the opposition's
big commitment to regional education. He made a number of comments such as, ''Regional
students have the right to a quality education and the support they need.''
He also said, ''We're going to fund education initiatives that
will support families and regional communities.'' He went on to say, ''Families
shouldn't have to leave regional towns and move to the city to go to
school.'' Those comments sound great and, for the first time, I can say
that I absolutely agree, and I stand proudly in this place agreeing with the
Leader of the Opposition.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : That is enough!
Mr
D.T. REDMAN : The Leader of the Opposition committed to introducing
independent learning coordinators in 10 regional schools. There are 313
regional schools in Western Australia and he will introduce independent
learning coordinators to 10 schools to show his commitment. That comes to the
sum total of $2.5 million a year, just as the opposition says on jobs policy,
they are up-front motherhood statements, but when it comes to commitment it is
as hollow as. We can trust the Liberal–National government's
record in investing in regional Western Australia, particularly regional
education. Just the royalties for regions component, which is not all
investments and not all initiatives, has invested $350 million into regional
schools and early childhood education; over $100 million rebuilding schools—schools
that were left to decay by the opposition—including $10 million into
Broome Senior High School; $3 million into Collie and, of course, into Kalgoorlie,
the member for Kalgoorlie's electorate; more than $40 million to assist
in the transition of year 7 students into Bunbury, Margaret River and Mandurah;
and $25 million into residential colleges to support people staying in regional
Western Australia to access quality education; and other programs such as $5 million
for the Better Beginnings early literacy program; $11 million supporting school
buses and air conditioning; $3 million into Clontarf academies; and $1.3 million
for a regional school breakfast program. I come back to the point that all we
hear from the opposition, just as we have heard on its other policies so far,
are motherhood statements before the election and lack of commitment after the
election.
I finish on this note: there is one
good thing about the policy that the Labor Party is bringing on regional
education; that is, it fits on a tweet! If the Labor Party's policy can
fit on a tweet, it is good for regional Western Australia. If this is a sign of
things to come, I look forward to this election campaign.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.