❓ Question regarding budget cuts and staff reductions in WA's Education and Training sector following a departmental amalgamation, specifically concerning TAFE colleges, curriculum, and the Public Education Endowment Trust. The Minister acknowledges the savings target and outlines a review process, clarifying the Trust's intended use for government schools.
AnsweredQoN 1209Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer the minister to a letter from Mr Paul Albert. Mr R.C. Kucera: You are a hocker. Mr R.F. Johnson: What is a hocker? Mr R.C. Kucera: A cash converter. The SPEAKER: Members, interjections are quite often disorderly but this particular outburst has stopped proceedings altogether. That is unacceptable. Mr J.H.D. DAY: I refer the minister to a letter from Mr Paul Albert, the Director General of the Department of Education and Training, to senior department officials, which states - The Department is in the continuing difficult situation of needing to realise the targets of $30 million and 200 FTE savings. The letter continues - The work being undertaken by the Functional Review Implementation Team . . . will impact on . . . the TAFE Colleges, the Curriculum Council, the Department of Education Services, the Country High Schools Hostels Authority and the Public Education Endowment Trust. (1) What recommendations did the Functional Review Taskforce make regarding these agencies’ authorities and trusts? (2) Will any of these recommendations result in funding cuts or staff reductions? (3) Will the public education endowment trust be maintained in its current form; and, if not, what changes will be made? Mr A.J. CARPENTER
AnswerView source ↗
(1)-(3) I thank the member for Darling Range for his question. I do not believe I have seen the letter to which the member referred from Paul Albert, the Director General of the Department of Education and Training. I am meeting with Mr Albert today, so I will clarify with him whether it is the case that he was referring in his letter to the expectation that the Government will realise savings of $30 million from the amalgamation of the Department of Education with the Department of Training. Part of the reason for the amalgamation was to effect a saving of 200 full-time equivalents from both departments across all activities of education and training. Essentially, Mr Albert is saying in his letter that the Government will have to look at the budgets across the entire scope of education and training to make sure that the Government can meet these targets. As the member has said before, it is one thing to have a target; it is another to realise it. The member raised that in the context of the budget, and he is right. That is the challenge. I must realise savings of $30 million. Mr J.H.D. Day: Tell us how you are doing it. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: We are doing that by looking at every activity in which the Department of Education and Training is engaged. We will make sure that we can guarantee that we are getting the best possible results from those activities. We must make savings of $30 million so that that money can be reinvested into educational programs, not to cut the budget. Mr J.H.D. Day interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: We are doing it. We must make savings of $30 million to fund the programs we want to put into place. Perhaps the member and I will disagree on this point, but it comes down to being able to manage the budget and to make sure that the department and all the elements that comprise education and training in Western Australia are focused. The Government must ensure that no waste or duplication occurs within those departments. If the Department of Education and the Department of Training had been amalgamated and the same amount of money was being spent and everybody was filling the same roles and doing the same activities, it would be reasonable to suggest that that involved a fair bit of overlap and waste. As the Minister for Education and Training, it is my responsibility and my challenge to make sure that we meet those targets so that we meet the educational outcomes we seek to achieve - not the bureaucratic outcomes in “Silver City” and around the State, but the education outcomes for the students of the State for whom the whole system exists. The member’s last question was about the public education endowment trust. The public education endowment trust will continue to exist, but I will take a much closer look at the way its money is spent. In my view, the public education endowment trust is meant for public education. I consider it to be for government-funded education. I do not consider that it should be used to provide resources to non-government or private schools. Mr C.J. Barnett: It is for the children of this State regardless of whether they are in a Catholic school, a government school or an independent school. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: The Leader of the Opposition is wrong. The public education endowment trust was set up under legislation in 1907. The Leader of the Opposition clearly never read it in his five years as the Minister for Education. I have read it. What is more, I have read all the debate that went with it. The public education endowment trust was established so that the Government could provide education through government schools. Later, through land endowments and so on, it was used to realise assets when they became valuable. I am not satisfied with the way the public education endowment trust has been run. I have no response to the Leader of the Opposition’s interjection about having something against the Catholic school system. Mr Ron Dullard, the new chief executive officer of that system, said that the latest finance package we provided was fair. The Government is extraordinarily generous to the non-government sector, particularly to the Catholic sector. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you saying that this trust cannot be used for non-government schools? Mr A.J. CARPENTER: My direction to the Department of Education and Training with regard to the public education endowment trust is that the assets that are realisable from the - Mr C.J. Barnett: You are fighting the old social issues of the 1970s. Get up to date; it is 2003. Dr G.I. Gallop: Promoting our public schools is a big issue for Western Australia. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: I have addressed the issue as best I can. I will make one final point. Yesterday the Leader of the Opposition said that the Opposition had no intention of privatising schools. However, he has already done that through the funding arrangements. He and his cohorts in Canberra have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the non-government school system, including into some of the richest private schools in the State. One of the questions that will arise in the run-up to the next state election is whether the member for Darling Range will advocate increased funding to the richest private schools in the State at the expense of government schools. Is that what he will do? He is advocating a privatised school system. That is what he is doing. There is a clear difference between the Opposition and the Government; we advocate on behalf of all children.
Mr R.C. Kucera: You are a hocker. Mr R.F. Johnson: What is a hocker? Mr R.C. Kucera: A cash converter. The SPEAKER: Members, interjections are quite often disorderly but this particular outburst has stopped proceedings altogether. That is unacceptable. Mr J.H.D. DAY: I refer the minister to a letter from Mr Paul Albert, the Director General of the Department of Education and Training, to senior department officials, which states - The Department is in the continuing difficult situation of needing to realise the targets of $30 million and 200 FTE savings. The letter continues - The work being undertaken by the Functional Review Implementation Team . . . will impact on . . . the TAFE Colleges, the Curriculum Council, the Department of Education Services, the Country High Schools Hostels Authority and the Public Education Endowment Trust. (1) What recommendations did the Functional Review Taskforce make regarding these agencies’ authorities and trusts? (2) Will any of these recommendations result in funding cuts or staff reductions? (3) Will the public education endowment trust be maintained in its current form; and, if not, what changes will be made? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: (1)-(3) I thank the member for Darling Range for his question. I do not believe I have seen the letter to which the member referred from Paul Albert, the Director General of the Department of Education and Training. I am meeting with Mr Albert today, so I will clarify with him whether it is the case that he was referring in his letter to the expectation that the Government will realise savings of $30 million from the amalgamation of the Department of Education with the Department of Training. Part of the reason for the amalgamation was to effect a saving of 200 full-time equivalents from both departments across all activities of education and training. Essentially, Mr Albert is saying in his letter that the Government will have to look at the budgets across the entire scope of education and training to make sure that the Government can meet these targets. As the member has said before, it is one thing to have a target; it is another to realise it. The member raised that in the context of the budget, and he is right. That is the challenge. I must realise savings of $30 million. Mr J.H.D. Day: Tell us how you are doing it. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: We are doing that by looking at every activity in which the Department of Education and Training is engaged. We will make sure that we can guarantee that we are getting the best possible results from those activities. We must make savings of $30 million so that that money can be reinvested into educational programs, not to cut the budget. Mr J.H.D. Day interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: We are doing it. We must make savings of $30 million to fund the programs we want to put into place. Perhaps the member and I will disagree on this point, but it comes down to being able to manage the budget and to make sure that the department and all the elements that comprise education and training in Western Australia are focused. The Government must ensure that no waste or duplication occurs within those departments. If the Department of Education and the Department of Training had been amalgamated and the same amount of money was being spent and everybody was filling the same roles and doing the same activities, it would be reasonable to suggest that that involved a fair bit of overlap and waste. As the Minister for Education and Training, it is my responsibility and my challenge to make sure that we meet those targets so that we meet the educational outcomes we seek to achieve - not the bureaucratic outcomes in “Silver City” and around the State, but the education outcomes for the students of the State for whom the whole system exists. The member’s last question was about the public education endowment trust. The public education endowment trust will continue to exist, but I will take a much closer look at the way its money is spent. In my view, the public education endowment trust is meant for public education. I consider it to be for government-funded education. I do not consider that it should be used to provide resources to non-government or private schools. Mr C.J. Barnett: It is for the children of this State regardless of whether they are in a Catholic school, a government school or an independent school. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: The Leader of the Opposition is wrong. The public education endowment trust was set up under legislation in 1907. The Leader of the Opposition clearly never read it in his five years as the Minister for Education. I have read it. What is more, I have read all the debate that went with it. The public education endowment trust was established so that the Government could provide education through government schools. Later, through land endowments and so on, it was used to realise assets when they became valuable. I am not satisfied with the way the public education endowment trust has been run. I have no response to the Leader of the Opposition’s interjection about having something against the Catholic school system. Mr Ron Dullard, the new chief executive officer of that system, said that the latest finance package we provided was fair. The Government is extraordinarily generous to the non-government sector, particularly to the Catholic sector. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you saying that this trust cannot be used for non-government schools? Mr A.J. CARPENTER: My direction to the Department of Education and Training with regard to the public education endowment trust is that the assets that are realisable from the - Mr C.J. Barnett: You are fighting the old social issues of the 1970s. Get up to date; it is 2003. Dr G.I. Gallop: Promoting our public schools is a big issue for Western Australia. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: I have addressed the issue as best I can. I will make one final point. Yesterday the Leader of the Opposition said that the Opposition had no intention of privatising schools. However, he has already done that through the funding arrangements. He and his cohorts in Canberra have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the non-government school system, including into some of the richest private schools in the State. One of the questions that will arise in the run-up to the next state election is whether the member for Darling Range will advocate increased funding to the richest private schools in the State at the expense of government schools. Is that what he will do? He is advocating a privatised school system. That is what he is doing. There is a clear difference between the Opposition and the Government; we advocate on behalf of all children.
Mr R.F. Johnson: What is a hocker? Mr R.C. Kucera: A cash converter. The SPEAKER: Members, interjections are quite often disorderly but this particular outburst has stopped proceedings altogether. That is unacceptable. Mr J.H.D. DAY: I refer the minister to a letter from Mr Paul Albert, the Director General of the Department of Education and Training, to senior department officials, which states - The Department is in the continuing difficult situation of needing to realise the targets of $30 million and 200 FTE savings. The letter continues - The work being undertaken by the Functional Review Implementation Team . . . will impact on . . . the TAFE Colleges, the Curriculum Council, the Department of Education Services, the Country High Schools Hostels Authority and the Public Education Endowment Trust. (1) What recommendations did the Functional Review Taskforce make regarding these agencies’ authorities and trusts? (2) Will any of these recommendations result in funding cuts or staff reductions? (3) Will the public education endowment trust be maintained in its current form; and, if not, what changes will be made? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: (1)-(3) I thank the member for Darling Range for his question. I do not believe I have seen the letter to which the member referred from Paul Albert, the Director General of the Department of Education and Training. I am meeting with Mr Albert today, so I will clarify with him whether it is the case that he was referring in his letter to the expectation that the Government will realise savings of $30 million from the amalgamation of the Department of Education with the Department of Training. Part of the reason for the amalgamation was to effect a saving of 200 full-time equivalents from both departments across all activities of education and training. Essentially, Mr Albert is saying in his letter that the Government will have to look at the budgets across the entire scope of education and training to make sure that the Government can meet these targets. As the member has said before, it is one thing to have a target; it is another to realise it. The member raised that in the context of the budget, and he is right. That is the challenge. I must realise savings of $30 million. Mr J.H.D. Day: Tell us how you are doing it. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: We are doing that by looking at every activity in which the Department of Education and Training is engaged. We will make sure that we can guarantee that we are getting the best possible results from those activities. We must make savings of $30 million so that that money can be reinvested into educational programs, not to cut the budget. Mr J.H.D. Day interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: We are doing it. We must make savings of $30 million to fund the programs we want to put into place. Perhaps the member and I will disagree on this point, but it comes down to being able to manage the budget and to make sure that the department and all the elements that comprise education and training in Western Australia are focused. The Government must ensure that no waste or duplication occurs within those departments. If the Department of Education and the Department of Training had been amalgamated and the same amount of money was being spent and everybody was filling the same roles and doing the same activities, it would be reasonable to suggest that that involved a fair bit of overlap and waste. As the Minister for Education and Training, it is my responsibility and my challenge to make sure that we meet those targets so that we meet the educational outcomes we seek to achieve - not the bureaucratic outcomes in “Silver City” and around the State, but the education outcomes for the students of the State for whom the whole system exists. The member’s last question was about the public education endowment trust. The public education endowment trust will continue to exist, but I will take a much closer look at the way its money is spent. In my view, the public education endowment trust is meant for public education. I consider it to be for government-funded education. I do not consider that it should be used to provide resources to non-government or private schools. Mr C.J. Barnett: It is for the children of this State regardless of whether they are in a Catholic school, a government school or an independent school. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: The Leader of the Opposition is wrong. The public education endowment trust was set up under legislation in 1907. The Leader of the Opposition clearly never read it in his five years as the Minister for Education. I have read it. What is more, I have read all the debate that went with it. The public education endowment trust was established so that the Government could provide education through government schools. Later, through land endowments and so on, it was used to realise assets when they became valuable. I am not satisfied with the way the public education endowment trust has been run. I have no response to the Leader of the Opposition’s interjection about having something against the Catholic school system. Mr Ron Dullard, the new chief executive officer of that system, said that the latest finance package we provided was fair. The Government is extraordinarily generous to the non-government sector, particularly to the Catholic sector. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you saying that this trust cannot be used for non-government schools? Mr A.J. CARPENTER: My direction to the Department of Education and Training with regard to the public education endowment trust is that the assets that are realisable from the - Mr C.J. Barnett: You are fighting the old social issues of the 1970s. Get up to date; it is 2003. Dr G.I. Gallop: Promoting our public schools is a big issue for Western Australia. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: I have addressed the issue as best I can. I will make one final point. Yesterday the Leader of the Opposition said that the Opposition had no intention of privatising schools. However, he has already done that through the funding arrangements. He and his cohorts in Canberra have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the non-government school system, including into some of the richest private schools in the State. One of the questions that will arise in the run-up to the next state election is whether the member for Darling Range will advocate increased funding to the richest private schools in the State at the expense of government schools. Is that what he will do? He is advocating a privatised school system. That is what he is doing. There is a clear difference between the Opposition and the Government; we advocate on behalf of all children.
Mr R.C. Kucera: A cash converter. The SPEAKER: Members, interjections are quite often disorderly but this particular outburst has stopped proceedings altogether. That is unacceptable. Mr J.H.D. DAY: I refer the minister to a letter from Mr Paul Albert, the Director General of the Department of Education and Training, to senior department officials, which states - The Department is in the continuing difficult situation of needing to realise the targets of $30 million and 200 FTE savings. The letter continues - The work being undertaken by the Functional Review Implementation Team . . . will impact on . . . the TAFE Colleges, the Curriculum Council, the Department of Education Services, the Country High Schools Hostels Authority and the Public Education Endowment Trust. (1) What recommendations did the Functional Review Taskforce make regarding these agencies’ authorities and trusts? (2) Will any of these recommendations result in funding cuts or staff reductions? (3) Will the public education endowment trust be maintained in its current form; and, if not, what changes will be made? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: (1)-(3) I thank the member for Darling Range for his question. I do not believe I have seen the letter to which the member referred from Paul Albert, the Director General of the Department of Education and Training. I am meeting with Mr Albert today, so I will clarify with him whether it is the case that he was referring in his letter to the expectation that the Government will realise savings of $30 million from the amalgamation of the Department of Education with the Department of Training. Part of the reason for the amalgamation was to effect a saving of 200 full-time equivalents from both departments across all activities of education and training. Essentially, Mr Albert is saying in his letter that the Government will have to look at the budgets across the entire scope of education and training to make sure that the Government can meet these targets. As the member has said before, it is one thing to have a target; it is another to realise it. The member raised that in the context of the budget, and he is right. That is the challenge. I must realise savings of $30 million. Mr J.H.D. Day: Tell us how you are doing it. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: We are doing that by looking at every activity in which the Department of Education and Training is engaged. We will make sure that we can guarantee that we are getting the best possible results from those activities. We must make savings of $30 million so that that money can be reinvested into educational programs, not to cut the budget. Mr J.H.D. Day interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: We are doing it. We must make savings of $30 million to fund the programs we want to put into place. Perhaps the member and I will disagree on this point, but it comes down to being able to manage the budget and to make sure that the department and all the elements that comprise education and training in Western Australia are focused. The Government must ensure that no waste or duplication occurs within those departments. If the Department of Education and the Department of Training had been amalgamated and the same amount of money was being spent and everybody was filling the same roles and doing the same activities, it would be reasonable to suggest that that involved a fair bit of overlap and waste. As the Minister for Education and Training, it is my responsibility and my challenge to make sure that we meet those targets so that we meet the educational outcomes we seek to achieve - not the bureaucratic outcomes in “Silver City” and around the State, but the education outcomes for the students of the State for whom the whole system exists. The member’s last question was about the public education endowment trust. The public education endowment trust will continue to exist, but I will take a much closer look at the way its money is spent. In my view, the public education endowment trust is meant for public education. I consider it to be for government-funded education. I do not consider that it should be used to provide resources to non-government or private schools. Mr C.J. Barnett: It is for the children of this State regardless of whether they are in a Catholic school, a government school or an independent school. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: The Leader of the Opposition is wrong. The public education endowment trust was set up under legislation in 1907. The Leader of the Opposition clearly never read it in his five years as the Minister for Education. I have read it. What is more, I have read all the debate that went with it. The public education endowment trust was established so that the Government could provide education through government schools. Later, through land endowments and so on, it was used to realise assets when they became valuable. I am not satisfied with the way the public education endowment trust has been run. I have no response to the Leader of the Opposition’s interjection about having something against the Catholic school system. Mr Ron Dullard, the new chief executive officer of that system, said that the latest finance package we provided was fair. The Government is extraordinarily generous to the non-government sector, particularly to the Catholic sector. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you saying that this trust cannot be used for non-government schools? Mr A.J. CARPENTER: My direction to the Department of Education and Training with regard to the public education endowment trust is that the assets that are realisable from the - Mr C.J. Barnett: You are fighting the old social issues of the 1970s. Get up to date; it is 2003. Dr G.I. Gallop: Promoting our public schools is a big issue for Western Australia. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: I have addressed the issue as best I can. I will make one final point. Yesterday the Leader of the Opposition said that the Opposition had no intention of privatising schools. However, he has already done that through the funding arrangements. He and his cohorts in Canberra have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the non-government school system, including into some of the richest private schools in the State. One of the questions that will arise in the run-up to the next state election is whether the member for Darling Range will advocate increased funding to the richest private schools in the State at the expense of government schools. Is that what he will do? He is advocating a privatised school system. That is what he is doing. There is a clear difference between the Opposition and the Government; we advocate on behalf of all children.
The SPEAKER: Members, interjections are quite often disorderly but this particular outburst has stopped proceedings altogether. That is unacceptable. Mr J.H.D. DAY: I refer the minister to a letter from Mr Paul Albert, the Director General of the Department of Education and Training, to senior department officials, which states - The Department is in the continuing difficult situation of needing to realise the targets of $30 million and 200 FTE savings. The letter continues - The work being undertaken by the Functional Review Implementation Team . . . will impact on . . . the TAFE Colleges, the Curriculum Council, the Department of Education Services, the Country High Schools Hostels Authority and the Public Education Endowment Trust. (1) What recommendations did the Functional Review Taskforce make regarding these agencies’ authorities and trusts? (2) Will any of these recommendations result in funding cuts or staff reductions? (3) Will the public education endowment trust be maintained in its current form; and, if not, what changes will be made? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: (1)-(3) I thank the member for Darling Range for his question. I do not believe I have seen the letter to which the member referred from Paul Albert, the Director General of the Department of Education and Training. I am meeting with Mr Albert today, so I will clarify with him whether it is the case that he was referring in his letter to the expectation that the Government will realise savings of $30 million from the amalgamation of the Department of Education with the Department of Training. Part of the reason for the amalgamation was to effect a saving of 200 full-time equivalents from both departments across all activities of education and training. Essentially, Mr Albert is saying in his letter that the Government will have to look at the budgets across the entire scope of education and training to make sure that the Government can meet these targets. As the member has said before, it is one thing to have a target; it is another to realise it. The member raised that in the context of the budget, and he is right. That is the challenge. I must realise savings of $30 million. Mr J.H.D. Day: Tell us how you are doing it. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: We are doing that by looking at every activity in which the Department of Education and Training is engaged. We will make sure that we can guarantee that we are getting the best possible results from those activities. We must make savings of $30 million so that that money can be reinvested into educational programs, not to cut the budget. Mr J.H.D. Day interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: We are doing it. We must make savings of $30 million to fund the programs we want to put into place. Perhaps the member and I will disagree on this point, but it comes down to being able to manage the budget and to make sure that the department and all the elements that comprise education and training in Western Australia are focused. The Government must ensure that no waste or duplication occurs within those departments. If the Department of Education and the Department of Training had been amalgamated and the same amount of money was being spent and everybody was filling the same roles and doing the same activities, it would be reasonable to suggest that that involved a fair bit of overlap and waste. As the Minister for Education and Training, it is my responsibility and my challenge to make sure that we meet those targets so that we meet the educational outcomes we seek to achieve - not the bureaucratic outcomes in “Silver City” and around the State, but the education outcomes for the students of the State for whom the whole system exists. The member’s last question was about the public education endowment trust. The public education endowment trust will continue to exist, but I will take a much closer look at the way its money is spent. In my view, the public education endowment trust is meant for public education. I consider it to be for government-funded education. I do not consider that it should be used to provide resources to non-government or private schools. Mr C.J. Barnett: It is for the children of this State regardless of whether they are in a Catholic school, a government school or an independent school. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: The Leader of the Opposition is wrong. The public education endowment trust was set up under legislation in 1907. The Leader of the Opposition clearly never read it in his five years as the Minister for Education. I have read it. What is more, I have read all the debate that went with it. The public education endowment trust was established so that the Government could provide education through government schools. Later, through land endowments and so on, it was used to realise assets when they became valuable. I am not satisfied with the way the public education endowment trust has been run. I have no response to the Leader of the Opposition’s interjection about having something against the Catholic school system. Mr Ron Dullard, the new chief executive officer of that system, said that the latest finance package we provided was fair. The Government is extraordinarily generous to the non-government sector, particularly to the Catholic sector. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you saying that this trust cannot be used for non-government schools? Mr A.J. CARPENTER: My direction to the Department of Education and Training with regard to the public education endowment trust is that the assets that are realisable from the - Mr C.J. Barnett: You are fighting the old social issues of the 1970s. Get up to date; it is 2003. Dr G.I. Gallop: Promoting our public schools is a big issue for Western Australia. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: I have addressed the issue as best I can. I will make one final point. Yesterday the Leader of the Opposition said that the Opposition had no intention of privatising schools. However, he has already done that through the funding arrangements. He and his cohorts in Canberra have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the non-government school system, including into some of the richest private schools in the State. One of the questions that will arise in the run-up to the next state election is whether the member for Darling Range will advocate increased funding to the richest private schools in the State at the expense of government schools. Is that what he will do? He is advocating a privatised school system. That is what he is doing. There is a clear difference between the Opposition and the Government; we advocate on behalf of all children.
Mr J.H.D. DAY: I refer the minister to a letter from Mr Paul Albert, the Director General of the Department of Education and Training, to senior department officials, which states - The Department is in the continuing difficult situation of needing to realise the targets of $30 million and 200 FTE savings. The letter continues - The work being undertaken by the Functional Review Implementation Team . . . will impact on . . . the TAFE Colleges, the Curriculum Council, the Department of Education Services, the Country High Schools Hostels Authority and the Public Education Endowment Trust. (1) What recommendations did the Functional Review Taskforce make regarding these agencies’ authorities and trusts? (2) Will any of these recommendations result in funding cuts or staff reductions? (3) Will the public education endowment trust be maintained in its current form; and, if not, what changes will be made? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: (1)-(3) I thank the member for Darling Range for his question. I do not believe I have seen the letter to which the member referred from Paul Albert, the Director General of the Department of Education and Training. I am meeting with Mr Albert today, so I will clarify with him whether it is the case that he was referring in his letter to the expectation that the Government will realise savings of $30 million from the amalgamation of the Department of Education with the Department of Training. Part of the reason for the amalgamation was to effect a saving of 200 full-time equivalents from both departments across all activities of education and training. Essentially, Mr Albert is saying in his letter that the Government will have to look at the budgets across the entire scope of education and training to make sure that the Government can meet these targets. As the member has said before, it is one thing to have a target; it is another to realise it. The member raised that in the context of the budget, and he is right. That is the challenge. I must realise savings of $30 million. Mr J.H.D. Day: Tell us how you are doing it. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: We are doing that by looking at every activity in which the Department of Education and Training is engaged. We will make sure that we can guarantee that we are getting the best possible results from those activities. We must make savings of $30 million so that that money can be reinvested into educational programs, not to cut the budget. Mr J.H.D. Day interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: We are doing it. We must make savings of $30 million to fund the programs we want to put into place. Perhaps the member and I will disagree on this point, but it comes down to being able to manage the budget and to make sure that the department and all the elements that comprise education and training in Western Australia are focused. The Government must ensure that no waste or duplication occurs within those departments. If the Department of Education and the Department of Training had been amalgamated and the same amount of money was being spent and everybody was filling the same roles and doing the same activities, it would be reasonable to suggest that that involved a fair bit of overlap and waste. As the Minister for Education and Training, it is my responsibility and my challenge to make sure that we meet those targets so that we meet the educational outcomes we seek to achieve - not the bureaucratic outcomes in “Silver City” and around the State, but the education outcomes for the students of the State for whom the whole system exists. The member’s last question was about the public education endowment trust. The public education endowment trust will continue to exist, but I will take a much closer look at the way its money is spent. In my view, the public education endowment trust is meant for public education. I consider it to be for government-funded education. I do not consider that it should be used to provide resources to non-government or private schools. Mr C.J. Barnett: It is for the children of this State regardless of whether they are in a Catholic school, a government school or an independent school. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: The Leader of the Opposition is wrong. The public education endowment trust was set up under legislation in 1907. The Leader of the Opposition clearly never read it in his five years as the Minister for Education. I have read it. What is more, I have read all the debate that went with it. The public education endowment trust was established so that the Government could provide education through government schools. Later, through land endowments and so on, it was used to realise assets when they became valuable. I am not satisfied with the way the public education endowment trust has been run. I have no response to the Leader of the Opposition’s interjection about having something against the Catholic school system. Mr Ron Dullard, the new chief executive officer of that system, said that the latest finance package we provided was fair. The Government is extraordinarily generous to the non-government sector, particularly to the Catholic sector. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you saying that this trust cannot be used for non-government schools? Mr A.J. CARPENTER: My direction to the Department of Education and Training with regard to the public education endowment trust is that the assets that are realisable from the - Mr C.J. Barnett: You are fighting the old social issues of the 1970s. Get up to date; it is 2003. Dr G.I. Gallop: Promoting our public schools is a big issue for Western Australia. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: I have addressed the issue as best I can. I will make one final point. Yesterday the Leader of the Opposition said that the Opposition had no intention of privatising schools. However, he has already done that through the funding arrangements. He and his cohorts in Canberra have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the non-government school system, including into some of the richest private schools in the State. One of the questions that will arise in the run-up to the next state election is whether the member for Darling Range will advocate increased funding to the richest private schools in the State at the expense of government schools. Is that what he will do? He is advocating a privatised school system. That is what he is doing. There is a clear difference between the Opposition and the Government; we advocate on behalf of all children.
(2) Will any of these recommendations result in funding cuts or staff reductions? (3) Will the public education endowment trust be maintained in its current form; and, if not, what changes will be made? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: (1)-(3) I thank the member for Darling Range for his question. I do not believe I have seen the letter to which the member referred from Paul Albert, the Director General of the Department of Education and Training. I am meeting with Mr Albert today, so I will clarify with him whether it is the case that he was referring in his letter to the expectation that the Government will realise savings of $30 million from the amalgamation of the Department of Education with the Department of Training. Part of the reason for the amalgamation was to effect a saving of 200 full-time equivalents from both departments across all activities of education and training. Essentially, Mr Albert is saying in his letter that the Government will have to look at the budgets across the entire scope of education and training to make sure that the Government can meet these targets. As the member has said before, it is one thing to have a target; it is another to realise it. The member raised that in the context of the budget, and he is right. That is the challenge. I must realise savings of $30 million. Mr J.H.D. Day: Tell us how you are doing it. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: We are doing that by looking at every activity in which the Department of Education and Training is engaged. We will make sure that we can guarantee that we are getting the best possible results from those activities. We must make savings of $30 million so that that money can be reinvested into educational programs, not to cut the budget. Mr J.H.D. Day interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: We are doing it. We must make savings of $30 million to fund the programs we want to put into place. Perhaps the member and I will disagree on this point, but it comes down to being able to manage the budget and to make sure that the department and all the elements that comprise education and training in Western Australia are focused. The Government must ensure that no waste or duplication occurs within those departments. If the Department of Education and the Department of Training had been amalgamated and the same amount of money was being spent and everybody was filling the same roles and doing the same activities, it would be reasonable to suggest that that involved a fair bit of overlap and waste. As the Minister for Education and Training, it is my responsibility and my challenge to make sure that we meet those targets so that we meet the educational outcomes we seek to achieve - not the bureaucratic outcomes in “Silver City” and around the State, but the education outcomes for the students of the State for whom the whole system exists. The member’s last question was about the public education endowment trust. The public education endowment trust will continue to exist, but I will take a much closer look at the way its money is spent. In my view, the public education endowment trust is meant for public education. I consider it to be for government-funded education. I do not consider that it should be used to provide resources to non-government or private schools. Mr C.J. Barnett: It is for the children of this State regardless of whether they are in a Catholic school, a government school or an independent school. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: The Leader of the Opposition is wrong. The public education endowment trust was set up under legislation in 1907. The Leader of the Opposition clearly never read it in his five years as the Minister for Education. I have read it. What is more, I have read all the debate that went with it. The public education endowment trust was established so that the Government could provide education through government schools. Later, through land endowments and so on, it was used to realise assets when they became valuable. I am not satisfied with the way the public education endowment trust has been run. I have no response to the Leader of the Opposition’s interjection about having something against the Catholic school system. Mr Ron Dullard, the new chief executive officer of that system, said that the latest finance package we provided was fair. The Government is extraordinarily generous to the non-government sector, particularly to the Catholic sector. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you saying that this trust cannot be used for non-government schools? Mr A.J. CARPENTER: My direction to the Department of Education and Training with regard to the public education endowment trust is that the assets that are realisable from the - Mr C.J. Barnett: You are fighting the old social issues of the 1970s. Get up to date; it is 2003. Dr G.I. Gallop: Promoting our public schools is a big issue for Western Australia. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: I have addressed the issue as best I can. I will make one final point. Yesterday the Leader of the Opposition said that the Opposition had no intention of privatising schools. However, he has already done that through the funding arrangements. He and his cohorts in Canberra have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the non-government school system, including into some of the richest private schools in the State. One of the questions that will arise in the run-up to the next state election is whether the member for Darling Range will advocate increased funding to the richest private schools in the State at the expense of government schools. Is that what he will do? He is advocating a privatised school system. That is what he is doing. There is a clear difference between the Opposition and the Government; we advocate on behalf of all children.
(3) Will the public education endowment trust be maintained in its current form; and, if not, what changes will be made? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: (1)-(3) I thank the member for Darling Range for his question. I do not believe I have seen the letter to which the member referred from Paul Albert, the Director General of the Department of Education and Training. I am meeting with Mr Albert today, so I will clarify with him whether it is the case that he was referring in his letter to the expectation that the Government will realise savings of $30 million from the amalgamation of the Department of Education with the Department of Training. Part of the reason for the amalgamation was to effect a saving of 200 full-time equivalents from both departments across all activities of education and training. Essentially, Mr Albert is saying in his letter that the Government will have to look at the budgets across the entire scope of education and training to make sure that the Government can meet these targets. As the member has said before, it is one thing to have a target; it is another to realise it. The member raised that in the context of the budget, and he is right. That is the challenge. I must realise savings of $30 million. Mr J.H.D. Day: Tell us how you are doing it. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: We are doing that by looking at every activity in which the Department of Education and Training is engaged. We will make sure that we can guarantee that we are getting the best possible results from those activities. We must make savings of $30 million so that that money can be reinvested into educational programs, not to cut the budget. Mr J.H.D. Day interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: We are doing it. We must make savings of $30 million to fund the programs we want to put into place. Perhaps the member and I will disagree on this point, but it comes down to being able to manage the budget and to make sure that the department and all the elements that comprise education and training in Western Australia are focused. The Government must ensure that no waste or duplication occurs within those departments. If the Department of Education and the Department of Training had been amalgamated and the same amount of money was being spent and everybody was filling the same roles and doing the same activities, it would be reasonable to suggest that that involved a fair bit of overlap and waste. As the Minister for Education and Training, it is my responsibility and my challenge to make sure that we meet those targets so that we meet the educational outcomes we seek to achieve - not the bureaucratic outcomes in “Silver City” and around the State, but the education outcomes for the students of the State for whom the whole system exists. The member’s last question was about the public education endowment trust. The public education endowment trust will continue to exist, but I will take a much closer look at the way its money is spent. In my view, the public education endowment trust is meant for public education. I consider it to be for government-funded education. I do not consider that it should be used to provide resources to non-government or private schools. Mr C.J. Barnett: It is for the children of this State regardless of whether they are in a Catholic school, a government school or an independent school. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: The Leader of the Opposition is wrong. The public education endowment trust was set up under legislation in 1907. The Leader of the Opposition clearly never read it in his five years as the Minister for Education. I have read it. What is more, I have read all the debate that went with it. The public education endowment trust was established so that the Government could provide education through government schools. Later, through land endowments and so on, it was used to realise assets when they became valuable. I am not satisfied with the way the public education endowment trust has been run. I have no response to the Leader of the Opposition’s interjection about having something against the Catholic school system. Mr Ron Dullard, the new chief executive officer of that system, said that the latest finance package we provided was fair. The Government is extraordinarily generous to the non-government sector, particularly to the Catholic sector. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you saying that this trust cannot be used for non-government schools? Mr A.J. CARPENTER: My direction to the Department of Education and Training with regard to the public education endowment trust is that the assets that are realisable from the - Mr C.J. Barnett: You are fighting the old social issues of the 1970s. Get up to date; it is 2003. Dr G.I. Gallop: Promoting our public schools is a big issue for Western Australia. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: I have addressed the issue as best I can. I will make one final point. Yesterday the Leader of the Opposition said that the Opposition had no intention of privatising schools. However, he has already done that through the funding arrangements. He and his cohorts in Canberra have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the non-government school system, including into some of the richest private schools in the State. One of the questions that will arise in the run-up to the next state election is whether the member for Darling Range will advocate increased funding to the richest private schools in the State at the expense of government schools. Is that what he will do? He is advocating a privatised school system. That is what he is doing. There is a clear difference between the Opposition and the Government; we advocate on behalf of all children.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: (1)-(3) I thank the member for Darling Range for his question. I do not believe I have seen the letter to which the member referred from Paul Albert, the Director General of the Department of Education and Training. I am meeting with Mr Albert today, so I will clarify with him whether it is the case that he was referring in his letter to the expectation that the Government will realise savings of $30 million from the amalgamation of the Department of Education with the Department of Training. Part of the reason for the amalgamation was to effect a saving of 200 full-time equivalents from both departments across all activities of education and training. Essentially, Mr Albert is saying in his letter that the Government will have to look at the budgets across the entire scope of education and training to make sure that the Government can meet these targets. As the member has said before, it is one thing to have a target; it is another to realise it. The member raised that in the context of the budget, and he is right. That is the challenge. I must realise savings of $30 million. Mr J.H.D. Day: Tell us how you are doing it. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: We are doing that by looking at every activity in which the Department of Education and Training is engaged. We will make sure that we can guarantee that we are getting the best possible results from those activities. We must make savings of $30 million so that that money can be reinvested into educational programs, not to cut the budget. Mr J.H.D. Day interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: We are doing it. We must make savings of $30 million to fund the programs we want to put into place. Perhaps the member and I will disagree on this point, but it comes down to being able to manage the budget and to make sure that the department and all the elements that comprise education and training in Western Australia are focused. The Government must ensure that no waste or duplication occurs within those departments. If the Department of Education and the Department of Training had been amalgamated and the same amount of money was being spent and everybody was filling the same roles and doing the same activities, it would be reasonable to suggest that that involved a fair bit of overlap and waste. As the Minister for Education and Training, it is my responsibility and my challenge to make sure that we meet those targets so that we meet the educational outcomes we seek to achieve - not the bureaucratic outcomes in “Silver City” and around the State, but the education outcomes for the students of the State for whom the whole system exists. The member’s last question was about the public education endowment trust. The public education endowment trust will continue to exist, but I will take a much closer look at the way its money is spent. In my view, the public education endowment trust is meant for public education. I consider it to be for government-funded education. I do not consider that it should be used to provide resources to non-government or private schools. Mr C.J. Barnett: It is for the children of this State regardless of whether they are in a Catholic school, a government school or an independent school. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: The Leader of the Opposition is wrong. The public education endowment trust was set up under legislation in 1907. The Leader of the Opposition clearly never read it in his five years as the Minister for Education. I have read it. What is more, I have read all the debate that went with it. The public education endowment trust was established so that the Government could provide education through government schools. Later, through land endowments and so on, it was used to realise assets when they became valuable. I am not satisfied with the way the public education endowment trust has been run. I have no response to the Leader of the Opposition’s interjection about having something against the Catholic school system. Mr Ron Dullard, the new chief executive officer of that system, said that the latest finance package we provided was fair. The Government is extraordinarily generous to the non-government sector, particularly to the Catholic sector. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you saying that this trust cannot be used for non-government schools? Mr A.J. CARPENTER: My direction to the Department of Education and Training with regard to the public education endowment trust is that the assets that are realisable from the - Mr C.J. Barnett: You are fighting the old social issues of the 1970s. Get up to date; it is 2003. Dr G.I. Gallop: Promoting our public schools is a big issue for Western Australia. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: I have addressed the issue as best I can. I will make one final point. Yesterday the Leader of the Opposition said that the Opposition had no intention of privatising schools. However, he has already done that through the funding arrangements. He and his cohorts in Canberra have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the non-government school system, including into some of the richest private schools in the State. One of the questions that will arise in the run-up to the next state election is whether the member for Darling Range will advocate increased funding to the richest private schools in the State at the expense of government schools. Is that what he will do? He is advocating a privatised school system. That is what he is doing. There is a clear difference between the Opposition and the Government; we advocate on behalf of all children.
(1)-(3) I thank the member for Darling Range for his question. I do not believe I have seen the letter to which the member referred from Paul Albert, the Director General of the Department of Education and Training. I am meeting with Mr Albert today, so I will clarify with him whether it is the case that he was referring in his letter to the expectation that the Government will realise savings of $30 million from the amalgamation of the Department of Education with the Department of Training. Part of the reason for the amalgamation was to effect a saving of 200 full-time equivalents from both departments across all activities of education and training. Essentially, Mr Albert is saying in his letter that the Government will have to look at the budgets across the entire scope of education and training to make sure that the Government can meet these targets. As the member has said before, it is one thing to have a target; it is another to realise it. The member raised that in the context of the budget, and he is right. That is the challenge. I must realise savings of $30 million. Mr J.H.D. Day: Tell us how you are doing it. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: We are doing that by looking at every activity in which the Department of Education and Training is engaged. We will make sure that we can guarantee that we are getting the best possible results from those activities. We must make savings of $30 million so that that money can be reinvested into educational programs, not to cut the budget. Mr J.H.D. Day interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: We are doing it. We must make savings of $30 million to fund the programs we want to put into place. Perhaps the member and I will disagree on this point, but it comes down to being able to manage the budget and to make sure that the department and all the elements that comprise education and training in Western Australia are focused. The Government must ensure that no waste or duplication occurs within those departments. If the Department of Education and the Department of Training had been amalgamated and the same amount of money was being spent and everybody was filling the same roles and doing the same activities, it would be reasonable to suggest that that involved a fair bit of overlap and waste. As the Minister for Education and Training, it is my responsibility and my challenge to make sure that we meet those targets so that we meet the educational outcomes we seek to achieve - not the bureaucratic outcomes in “Silver City” and around the State, but the education outcomes for the students of the State for whom the whole system exists. The member’s last question was about the public education endowment trust. The public education endowment trust will continue to exist, but I will take a much closer look at the way its money is spent. In my view, the public education endowment trust is meant for public education. I consider it to be for government-funded education. I do not consider that it should be used to provide resources to non-government or private schools. Mr C.J. Barnett: It is for the children of this State regardless of whether they are in a Catholic school, a government school or an independent school. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: The Leader of the Opposition is wrong. The public education endowment trust was set up under legislation in 1907. The Leader of the Opposition clearly never read it in his five years as the Minister for Education. I have read it. What is more, I have read all the debate that went with it. The public education endowment trust was established so that the Government could provide education through government schools. Later, through land endowments and so on, it was used to realise assets when they became valuable. I am not satisfied with the way the public education endowment trust has been run. I have no response to the Leader of the Opposition’s interjection about having something against the Catholic school system. Mr Ron Dullard, the new chief executive officer of that system, said that the latest finance package we provided was fair. The Government is extraordinarily generous to the non-government sector, particularly to the Catholic sector. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you saying that this trust cannot be used for non-government schools? Mr A.J. CARPENTER: My direction to the Department of Education and Training with regard to the public education endowment trust is that the assets that are realisable from the - Mr C.J. Barnett: You are fighting the old social issues of the 1970s. Get up to date; it is 2003. Dr G.I. Gallop: Promoting our public schools is a big issue for Western Australia. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: I have addressed the issue as best I can. I will make one final point. Yesterday the Leader of the Opposition said that the Opposition had no intention of privatising schools. However, he has already done that through the funding arrangements. He and his cohorts in Canberra have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the non-government school system, including into some of the richest private schools in the State. One of the questions that will arise in the run-up to the next state election is whether the member for Darling Range will advocate increased funding to the richest private schools in the State at the expense of government schools. Is that what he will do? He is advocating a privatised school system. That is what he is doing. There is a clear difference between the Opposition and the Government; we advocate on behalf of all children.
Mr J.H.D. Day: Tell us how you are doing it. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: We are doing that by looking at every activity in which the Department of Education and Training is engaged. We will make sure that we can guarantee that we are getting the best possible results from those activities. We must make savings of $30 million so that that money can be reinvested into educational programs, not to cut the budget. Mr J.H.D. Day interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: We are doing it. We must make savings of $30 million to fund the programs we want to put into place. Perhaps the member and I will disagree on this point, but it comes down to being able to manage the budget and to make sure that the department and all the elements that comprise education and training in Western Australia are focused. The Government must ensure that no waste or duplication occurs within those departments. If the Department of Education and the Department of Training had been amalgamated and the same amount of money was being spent and everybody was filling the same roles and doing the same activities, it would be reasonable to suggest that that involved a fair bit of overlap and waste. As the Minister for Education and Training, it is my responsibility and my challenge to make sure that we meet those targets so that we meet the educational outcomes we seek to achieve - not the bureaucratic outcomes in “Silver City” and around the State, but the education outcomes for the students of the State for whom the whole system exists. The member’s last question was about the public education endowment trust. The public education endowment trust will continue to exist, but I will take a much closer look at the way its money is spent. In my view, the public education endowment trust is meant for public education. I consider it to be for government-funded education. I do not consider that it should be used to provide resources to non-government or private schools. Mr C.J. Barnett: It is for the children of this State regardless of whether they are in a Catholic school, a government school or an independent school. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: The Leader of the Opposition is wrong. The public education endowment trust was set up under legislation in 1907. The Leader of the Opposition clearly never read it in his five years as the Minister for Education. I have read it. What is more, I have read all the debate that went with it. The public education endowment trust was established so that the Government could provide education through government schools. Later, through land endowments and so on, it was used to realise assets when they became valuable. I am not satisfied with the way the public education endowment trust has been run. I have no response to the Leader of the Opposition’s interjection about having something against the Catholic school system. Mr Ron Dullard, the new chief executive officer of that system, said that the latest finance package we provided was fair. The Government is extraordinarily generous to the non-government sector, particularly to the Catholic sector. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you saying that this trust cannot be used for non-government schools? Mr A.J. CARPENTER: My direction to the Department of Education and Training with regard to the public education endowment trust is that the assets that are realisable from the - Mr C.J. Barnett: You are fighting the old social issues of the 1970s. Get up to date; it is 2003. Dr G.I. Gallop: Promoting our public schools is a big issue for Western Australia. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: I have addressed the issue as best I can. I will make one final point. Yesterday the Leader of the Opposition said that the Opposition had no intention of privatising schools. However, he has already done that through the funding arrangements. He and his cohorts in Canberra have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the non-government school system, including into some of the richest private schools in the State. One of the questions that will arise in the run-up to the next state election is whether the member for Darling Range will advocate increased funding to the richest private schools in the State at the expense of government schools. Is that what he will do? He is advocating a privatised school system. That is what he is doing. There is a clear difference between the Opposition and the Government; we advocate on behalf of all children.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER: We are doing that by looking at every activity in which the Department of Education and Training is engaged. We will make sure that we can guarantee that we are getting the best possible results from those activities. We must make savings of $30 million so that that money can be reinvested into educational programs, not to cut the budget. Mr J.H.D. Day interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: We are doing it. We must make savings of $30 million to fund the programs we want to put into place. Perhaps the member and I will disagree on this point, but it comes down to being able to manage the budget and to make sure that the department and all the elements that comprise education and training in Western Australia are focused. The Government must ensure that no waste or duplication occurs within those departments. If the Department of Education and the Department of Training had been amalgamated and the same amount of money was being spent and everybody was filling the same roles and doing the same activities, it would be reasonable to suggest that that involved a fair bit of overlap and waste. As the Minister for Education and Training, it is my responsibility and my challenge to make sure that we meet those targets so that we meet the educational outcomes we seek to achieve - not the bureaucratic outcomes in “Silver City” and around the State, but the education outcomes for the students of the State for whom the whole system exists. The member’s last question was about the public education endowment trust. The public education endowment trust will continue to exist, but I will take a much closer look at the way its money is spent. In my view, the public education endowment trust is meant for public education. I consider it to be for government-funded education. I do not consider that it should be used to provide resources to non-government or private schools. Mr C.J. Barnett: It is for the children of this State regardless of whether they are in a Catholic school, a government school or an independent school. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: The Leader of the Opposition is wrong. The public education endowment trust was set up under legislation in 1907. The Leader of the Opposition clearly never read it in his five years as the Minister for Education. I have read it. What is more, I have read all the debate that went with it. The public education endowment trust was established so that the Government could provide education through government schools. Later, through land endowments and so on, it was used to realise assets when they became valuable. I am not satisfied with the way the public education endowment trust has been run. I have no response to the Leader of the Opposition’s interjection about having something against the Catholic school system. Mr Ron Dullard, the new chief executive officer of that system, said that the latest finance package we provided was fair. The Government is extraordinarily generous to the non-government sector, particularly to the Catholic sector. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you saying that this trust cannot be used for non-government schools? Mr A.J. CARPENTER: My direction to the Department of Education and Training with regard to the public education endowment trust is that the assets that are realisable from the - Mr C.J. Barnett: You are fighting the old social issues of the 1970s. Get up to date; it is 2003. Dr G.I. Gallop: Promoting our public schools is a big issue for Western Australia. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: I have addressed the issue as best I can. I will make one final point. Yesterday the Leader of the Opposition said that the Opposition had no intention of privatising schools. However, he has already done that through the funding arrangements. He and his cohorts in Canberra have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the non-government school system, including into some of the richest private schools in the State. One of the questions that will arise in the run-up to the next state election is whether the member for Darling Range will advocate increased funding to the richest private schools in the State at the expense of government schools. Is that what he will do? He is advocating a privatised school system. That is what he is doing. There is a clear difference between the Opposition and the Government; we advocate on behalf of all children.
Mr J.H.D. Day interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: We are doing it. We must make savings of $30 million to fund the programs we want to put into place. Perhaps the member and I will disagree on this point, but it comes down to being able to manage the budget and to make sure that the department and all the elements that comprise education and training in Western Australia are focused. The Government must ensure that no waste or duplication occurs within those departments. If the Department of Education and the Department of Training had been amalgamated and the same amount of money was being spent and everybody was filling the same roles and doing the same activities, it would be reasonable to suggest that that involved a fair bit of overlap and waste. As the Minister for Education and Training, it is my responsibility and my challenge to make sure that we meet those targets so that we meet the educational outcomes we seek to achieve - not the bureaucratic outcomes in “Silver City” and around the State, but the education outcomes for the students of the State for whom the whole system exists. The member’s last question was about the public education endowment trust. The public education endowment trust will continue to exist, but I will take a much closer look at the way its money is spent. In my view, the public education endowment trust is meant for public education. I consider it to be for government-funded education. I do not consider that it should be used to provide resources to non-government or private schools. Mr C.J. Barnett: It is for the children of this State regardless of whether they are in a Catholic school, a government school or an independent school. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: The Leader of the Opposition is wrong. The public education endowment trust was set up under legislation in 1907. The Leader of the Opposition clearly never read it in his five years as the Minister for Education. I have read it. What is more, I have read all the debate that went with it. The public education endowment trust was established so that the Government could provide education through government schools. Later, through land endowments and so on, it was used to realise assets when they became valuable. I am not satisfied with the way the public education endowment trust has been run. I have no response to the Leader of the Opposition’s interjection about having something against the Catholic school system. Mr Ron Dullard, the new chief executive officer of that system, said that the latest finance package we provided was fair. The Government is extraordinarily generous to the non-government sector, particularly to the Catholic sector. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you saying that this trust cannot be used for non-government schools? Mr A.J. CARPENTER: My direction to the Department of Education and Training with regard to the public education endowment trust is that the assets that are realisable from the - Mr C.J. Barnett: You are fighting the old social issues of the 1970s. Get up to date; it is 2003. Dr G.I. Gallop: Promoting our public schools is a big issue for Western Australia. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: I have addressed the issue as best I can. I will make one final point. Yesterday the Leader of the Opposition said that the Opposition had no intention of privatising schools. However, he has already done that through the funding arrangements. He and his cohorts in Canberra have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the non-government school system, including into some of the richest private schools in the State. One of the questions that will arise in the run-up to the next state election is whether the member for Darling Range will advocate increased funding to the richest private schools in the State at the expense of government schools. Is that what he will do? He is advocating a privatised school system. That is what he is doing. There is a clear difference between the Opposition and the Government; we advocate on behalf of all children.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER: We are doing it. We must make savings of $30 million to fund the programs we want to put into place. Perhaps the member and I will disagree on this point, but it comes down to being able to manage the budget and to make sure that the department and all the elements that comprise education and training in Western Australia are focused. The Government must ensure that no waste or duplication occurs within those departments. If the Department of Education and the Department of Training had been amalgamated and the same amount of money was being spent and everybody was filling the same roles and doing the same activities, it would be reasonable to suggest that that involved a fair bit of overlap and waste. As the Minister for Education and Training, it is my responsibility and my challenge to make sure that we meet those targets so that we meet the educational outcomes we seek to achieve - not the bureaucratic outcomes in “Silver City” and around the State, but the education outcomes for the students of the State for whom the whole system exists. The member’s last question was about the public education endowment trust. The public education endowment trust will continue to exist, but I will take a much closer look at the way its money is spent. In my view, the public education endowment trust is meant for public education. I consider it to be for government-funded education. I do not consider that it should be used to provide resources to non-government or private schools. Mr C.J. Barnett: It is for the children of this State regardless of whether they are in a Catholic school, a government school or an independent school. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: The Leader of the Opposition is wrong. The public education endowment trust was set up under legislation in 1907. The Leader of the Opposition clearly never read it in his five years as the Minister for Education. I have read it. What is more, I have read all the debate that went with it. The public education endowment trust was established so that the Government could provide education through government schools. Later, through land endowments and so on, it was used to realise assets when they became valuable. I am not satisfied with the way the public education endowment trust has been run. I have no response to the Leader of the Opposition’s interjection about having something against the Catholic school system. Mr Ron Dullard, the new chief executive officer of that system, said that the latest finance package we provided was fair. The Government is extraordinarily generous to the non-government sector, particularly to the Catholic sector. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you saying that this trust cannot be used for non-government schools? Mr A.J. CARPENTER: My direction to the Department of Education and Training with regard to the public education endowment trust is that the assets that are realisable from the - Mr C.J. Barnett: You are fighting the old social issues of the 1970s. Get up to date; it is 2003. Dr G.I. Gallop: Promoting our public schools is a big issue for Western Australia. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: I have addressed the issue as best I can. I will make one final point. Yesterday the Leader of the Opposition said that the Opposition had no intention of privatising schools. However, he has already done that through the funding arrangements. He and his cohorts in Canberra have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the non-government school system, including into some of the richest private schools in the State. One of the questions that will arise in the run-up to the next state election is whether the member for Darling Range will advocate increased funding to the richest private schools in the State at the expense of government schools. Is that what he will do? He is advocating a privatised school system. That is what he is doing. There is a clear difference between the Opposition and the Government; we advocate on behalf of all children.
The member’s last question was about the public education endowment trust. The public education endowment trust will continue to exist, but I will take a much closer look at the way its money is spent. In my view, the public education endowment trust is meant for public education. I consider it to be for government-funded education. I do not consider that it should be used to provide resources to non-government or private schools. Mr C.J. Barnett: It is for the children of this State regardless of whether they are in a Catholic school, a government school or an independent school. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: The Leader of the Opposition is wrong. The public education endowment trust was set up under legislation in 1907. The Leader of the Opposition clearly never read it in his five years as the Minister for Education. I have read it. What is more, I have read all the debate that went with it. The public education endowment trust was established so that the Government could provide education through government schools. Later, through land endowments and so on, it was used to realise assets when they became valuable. I am not satisfied with the way the public education endowment trust has been run. I have no response to the Leader of the Opposition’s interjection about having something against the Catholic school system. Mr Ron Dullard, the new chief executive officer of that system, said that the latest finance package we provided was fair. The Government is extraordinarily generous to the non-government sector, particularly to the Catholic sector. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you saying that this trust cannot be used for non-government schools? Mr A.J. CARPENTER: My direction to the Department of Education and Training with regard to the public education endowment trust is that the assets that are realisable from the - Mr C.J. Barnett: You are fighting the old social issues of the 1970s. Get up to date; it is 2003. Dr G.I. Gallop: Promoting our public schools is a big issue for Western Australia. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: I have addressed the issue as best I can. I will make one final point. Yesterday the Leader of the Opposition said that the Opposition had no intention of privatising schools. However, he has already done that through the funding arrangements. He and his cohorts in Canberra have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the non-government school system, including into some of the richest private schools in the State. One of the questions that will arise in the run-up to the next state election is whether the member for Darling Range will advocate increased funding to the richest private schools in the State at the expense of government schools. Is that what he will do? He is advocating a privatised school system. That is what he is doing. There is a clear difference between the Opposition and the Government; we advocate on behalf of all children.
Mr C.J. Barnett: It is for the children of this State regardless of whether they are in a Catholic school, a government school or an independent school. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: The Leader of the Opposition is wrong. The public education endowment trust was set up under legislation in 1907. The Leader of the Opposition clearly never read it in his five years as the Minister for Education. I have read it. What is more, I have read all the debate that went with it. The public education endowment trust was established so that the Government could provide education through government schools. Later, through land endowments and so on, it was used to realise assets when they became valuable. I am not satisfied with the way the public education endowment trust has been run. I have no response to the Leader of the Opposition’s interjection about having something against the Catholic school system. Mr Ron Dullard, the new chief executive officer of that system, said that the latest finance package we provided was fair. The Government is extraordinarily generous to the non-government sector, particularly to the Catholic sector. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you saying that this trust cannot be used for non-government schools? Mr A.J. CARPENTER: My direction to the Department of Education and Training with regard to the public education endowment trust is that the assets that are realisable from the - Mr C.J. Barnett: You are fighting the old social issues of the 1970s. Get up to date; it is 2003. Dr G.I. Gallop: Promoting our public schools is a big issue for Western Australia. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: I have addressed the issue as best I can. I will make one final point. Yesterday the Leader of the Opposition said that the Opposition had no intention of privatising schools. However, he has already done that through the funding arrangements. He and his cohorts in Canberra have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the non-government school system, including into some of the richest private schools in the State. One of the questions that will arise in the run-up to the next state election is whether the member for Darling Range will advocate increased funding to the richest private schools in the State at the expense of government schools. Is that what he will do? He is advocating a privatised school system. That is what he is doing. There is a clear difference between the Opposition and the Government; we advocate on behalf of all children.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER: The Leader of the Opposition is wrong. The public education endowment trust was set up under legislation in 1907. The Leader of the Opposition clearly never read it in his five years as the Minister for Education. I have read it. What is more, I have read all the debate that went with it. The public education endowment trust was established so that the Government could provide education through government schools. Later, through land endowments and so on, it was used to realise assets when they became valuable. I am not satisfied with the way the public education endowment trust has been run. I have no response to the Leader of the Opposition’s interjection about having something against the Catholic school system. Mr Ron Dullard, the new chief executive officer of that system, said that the latest finance package we provided was fair. The Government is extraordinarily generous to the non-government sector, particularly to the Catholic sector. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you saying that this trust cannot be used for non-government schools? Mr A.J. CARPENTER: My direction to the Department of Education and Training with regard to the public education endowment trust is that the assets that are realisable from the - Mr C.J. Barnett: You are fighting the old social issues of the 1970s. Get up to date; it is 2003. Dr G.I. Gallop: Promoting our public schools is a big issue for Western Australia. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: I have addressed the issue as best I can. I will make one final point. Yesterday the Leader of the Opposition said that the Opposition had no intention of privatising schools. However, he has already done that through the funding arrangements. He and his cohorts in Canberra have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the non-government school system, including into some of the richest private schools in the State. One of the questions that will arise in the run-up to the next state election is whether the member for Darling Range will advocate increased funding to the richest private schools in the State at the expense of government schools. Is that what he will do? He is advocating a privatised school system. That is what he is doing. There is a clear difference between the Opposition and the Government; we advocate on behalf of all children.
Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you saying that this trust cannot be used for non-government schools? Mr A.J. CARPENTER: My direction to the Department of Education and Training with regard to the public education endowment trust is that the assets that are realisable from the - Mr C.J. Barnett: You are fighting the old social issues of the 1970s. Get up to date; it is 2003. Dr G.I. Gallop: Promoting our public schools is a big issue for Western Australia. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: I have addressed the issue as best I can. I will make one final point. Yesterday the Leader of the Opposition said that the Opposition had no intention of privatising schools. However, he has already done that through the funding arrangements. He and his cohorts in Canberra have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the non-government school system, including into some of the richest private schools in the State. One of the questions that will arise in the run-up to the next state election is whether the member for Darling Range will advocate increased funding to the richest private schools in the State at the expense of government schools. Is that what he will do? He is advocating a privatised school system. That is what he is doing. There is a clear difference between the Opposition and the Government; we advocate on behalf of all children.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER: My direction to the Department of Education and Training with regard to the public education endowment trust is that the assets that are realisable from the - Mr C.J. Barnett: You are fighting the old social issues of the 1970s. Get up to date; it is 2003. Dr G.I. Gallop: Promoting our public schools is a big issue for Western Australia. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: I have addressed the issue as best I can. I will make one final point. Yesterday the Leader of the Opposition said that the Opposition had no intention of privatising schools. However, he has already done that through the funding arrangements. He and his cohorts in Canberra have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the non-government school system, including into some of the richest private schools in the State. One of the questions that will arise in the run-up to the next state election is whether the member for Darling Range will advocate increased funding to the richest private schools in the State at the expense of government schools. Is that what he will do? He is advocating a privatised school system. That is what he is doing. There is a clear difference between the Opposition and the Government; we advocate on behalf of all children.
Mr C.J. Barnett: You are fighting the old social issues of the 1970s. Get up to date; it is 2003. Dr G.I. Gallop: Promoting our public schools is a big issue for Western Australia. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: I have addressed the issue as best I can. I will make one final point. Yesterday the Leader of the Opposition said that the Opposition had no intention of privatising schools. However, he has already done that through the funding arrangements. He and his cohorts in Canberra have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the non-government school system, including into some of the richest private schools in the State. One of the questions that will arise in the run-up to the next state election is whether the member for Darling Range will advocate increased funding to the richest private schools in the State at the expense of government schools. Is that what he will do? He is advocating a privatised school system. That is what he is doing. There is a clear difference between the Opposition and the Government; we advocate on behalf of all children.
Dr G.I. Gallop: Promoting our public schools is a big issue for Western Australia. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: I have addressed the issue as best I can. I will make one final point. Yesterday the Leader of the Opposition said that the Opposition had no intention of privatising schools. However, he has already done that through the funding arrangements. He and his cohorts in Canberra have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the non-government school system, including into some of the richest private schools in the State. One of the questions that will arise in the run-up to the next state election is whether the member for Darling Range will advocate increased funding to the richest private schools in the State at the expense of government schools. Is that what he will do? He is advocating a privatised school system. That is what he is doing. There is a clear difference between the Opposition and the Government; we advocate on behalf of all children.
The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: I have addressed the issue as best I can. I will make one final point. Yesterday the Leader of the Opposition said that the Opposition had no intention of privatising schools. However, he has already done that through the funding arrangements. He and his cohorts in Canberra have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the non-government school system, including into some of the richest private schools in the State. One of the questions that will arise in the run-up to the next state election is whether the member for Darling Range will advocate increased funding to the richest private schools in the State at the expense of government schools. Is that what he will do? He is advocating a privatised school system. That is what he is doing. There is a clear difference between the Opposition and the Government; we advocate on behalf of all children.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER: I have addressed the issue as best I can. I will make one final point. Yesterday the Leader of the Opposition said that the Opposition had no intention of privatising schools. However, he has already done that through the funding arrangements. He and his cohorts in Canberra have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the non-government school system, including into some of the richest private schools in the State. One of the questions that will arise in the run-up to the next state election is whether the member for Darling Range will advocate increased funding to the richest private schools in the State at the expense of government schools. Is that what he will do? He is advocating a privatised school system. That is what he is doing. There is a clear difference between the Opposition and the Government; we advocate on behalf of all children.
Mr R.C. Kucera: You are a hocker. Mr R.F. Johnson: What is a hocker? Mr R.C. Kucera: A cash converter. The SPEAKER: Members, interjections are quite often disorderly but this particular outburst has stopped proceedings altogether. That is unacceptable. Mr J.H.D. DAY: I refer the minister to a letter from Mr Paul Albert, the Director General of the Department of Education and Training, to senior department officials, which states - The Department is in the continuing difficult situation of needing to realise the targets of $30 million and 200 FTE savings. The letter continues - The work being undertaken by the Functional Review Implementation Team . . . will impact on . . . the TAFE Colleges, the Curriculum Council, the Department of Education Services, the Country High Schools Hostels Authority and the Public Education Endowment Trust. (1) What recommendations did the Functional Review Taskforce make regarding these agencies’ authorities and trusts? (2) Will any of these recommendations result in funding cuts or staff reductions? (3) Will the public education endowment trust be maintained in its current form; and, if not, what changes will be made? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: (1)-(3) I thank the member for Darling Range for his question. I do not believe I have seen the letter to which the member referred from Paul Albert, the Director General of the Department of Education and Training. I am meeting with Mr Albert today, so I will clarify with him whether it is the case that he was referring in his letter to the expectation that the Government will realise savings of $30 million from the amalgamation of the Department of Education with the Department of Training. Part of the reason for the amalgamation was to effect a saving of 200 full-time equivalents from both departments across all activities of education and training. Essentially, Mr Albert is saying in his letter that the Government will have to look at the budgets across the entire scope of education and training to make sure that the Government can meet these targets. As the member has said before, it is one thing to have a target; it is another to realise it. The member raised that in the context of the budget, and he is right. That is the challenge. I must realise savings of $30 million. Mr J.H.D. Day: Tell us how you are doing it. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: We are doing that by looking at every activity in which the Department of Education and Training is engaged. We will make sure that we can guarantee that we are getting the best possible results from those activities. We must make savings of $30 million so that that money can be reinvested into educational programs, not to cut the budget. Mr J.H.D. Day interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: We are doing it. We must make savings of $30 million to fund the programs we want to put into place. Perhaps the member and I will disagree on this point, but it comes down to being able to manage the budget and to make sure that the department and all the elements that comprise education and training in Western Australia are focused. The Government must ensure that no waste or duplication occurs within those departments. If the Department of Education and the Department of Training had been amalgamated and the same amount of money was being spent and everybody was filling the same roles and doing the same activities, it would be reasonable to suggest that that involved a fair bit of overlap and waste. As the Minister for Education and Training, it is my responsibility and my challenge to make sure that we meet those targets so that we meet the educational outcomes we seek to achieve - not the bureaucratic outcomes in “Silver City” and around the State, but the education outcomes for the students of the State for whom the whole system exists. The member’s last question was about the public education endowment trust. The public education endowment trust will continue to exist, but I will take a much closer look at the way its money is spent. In my view, the public education endowment trust is meant for public education. I consider it to be for government-funded education. I do not consider that it should be used to provide resources to non-government or private schools. Mr C.J. Barnett: It is for the children of this State regardless of whether they are in a Catholic school, a government school or an independent school. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: The Leader of the Opposition is wrong. The public education endowment trust was set up under legislation in 1907. The Leader of the Opposition clearly never read it in his five years as the Minister for Education. I have read it. What is more, I have read all the debate that went with it. The public education endowment trust was established so that the Government could provide education through government schools. Later, through land endowments and so on, it was used to realise assets when they became valuable. I am not satisfied with the way the public education endowment trust has been run. I have no response to the Leader of the Opposition’s interjection about having something against the Catholic school system. Mr Ron Dullard, the new chief executive officer of that system, said that the latest finance package we provided was fair. The Government is extraordinarily generous to the non-government sector, particularly to the Catholic sector. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you saying that this trust cannot be used for non-government schools? Mr A.J. CARPENTER: My direction to the Department of Education and Training with regard to the public education endowment trust is that the assets that are realisable from the - Mr C.J. Barnett: You are fighting the old social issues of the 1970s. Get up to date; it is 2003. Dr G.I. Gallop: Promoting our public schools is a big issue for Western Australia. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: I have addressed the issue as best I can. I will make one final point. Yesterday the Leader of the Opposition said that the Opposition had no intention of privatising schools. However, he has already done that through the funding arrangements. He and his cohorts in Canberra have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the non-government school system, including into some of the richest private schools in the State. One of the questions that will arise in the run-up to the next state election is whether the member for Darling Range will advocate increased funding to the richest private schools in the State at the expense of government schools. Is that what he will do? He is advocating a privatised school system. That is what he is doing. There is a clear difference between the Opposition and the Government; we advocate on behalf of all children.
Mr R.F. Johnson: What is a hocker? Mr R.C. Kucera: A cash converter. The SPEAKER: Members, interjections are quite often disorderly but this particular outburst has stopped proceedings altogether. That is unacceptable. Mr J.H.D. DAY: I refer the minister to a letter from Mr Paul Albert, the Director General of the Department of Education and Training, to senior department officials, which states - The Department is in the continuing difficult situation of needing to realise the targets of $30 million and 200 FTE savings. The letter continues - The work being undertaken by the Functional Review Implementation Team . . . will impact on . . . the TAFE Colleges, the Curriculum Council, the Department of Education Services, the Country High Schools Hostels Authority and the Public Education Endowment Trust. (1) What recommendations did the Functional Review Taskforce make regarding these agencies’ authorities and trusts? (2) Will any of these recommendations result in funding cuts or staff reductions? (3) Will the public education endowment trust be maintained in its current form; and, if not, what changes will be made? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: (1)-(3) I thank the member for Darling Range for his question. I do not believe I have seen the letter to which the member referred from Paul Albert, the Director General of the Department of Education and Training. I am meeting with Mr Albert today, so I will clarify with him whether it is the case that he was referring in his letter to the expectation that the Government will realise savings of $30 million from the amalgamation of the Department of Education with the Department of Training. Part of the reason for the amalgamation was to effect a saving of 200 full-time equivalents from both departments across all activities of education and training. Essentially, Mr Albert is saying in his letter that the Government will have to look at the budgets across the entire scope of education and training to make sure that the Government can meet these targets. As the member has said before, it is one thing to have a target; it is another to realise it. The member raised that in the context of the budget, and he is right. That is the challenge. I must realise savings of $30 million. Mr J.H.D. Day: Tell us how you are doing it. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: We are doing that by looking at every activity in which the Department of Education and Training is engaged. We will make sure that we can guarantee that we are getting the best possible results from those activities. We must make savings of $30 million so that that money can be reinvested into educational programs, not to cut the budget. Mr J.H.D. Day interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: We are doing it. We must make savings of $30 million to fund the programs we want to put into place. Perhaps the member and I will disagree on this point, but it comes down to being able to manage the budget and to make sure that the department and all the elements that comprise education and training in Western Australia are focused. The Government must ensure that no waste or duplication occurs within those departments. If the Department of Education and the Department of Training had been amalgamated and the same amount of money was being spent and everybody was filling the same roles and doing the same activities, it would be reasonable to suggest that that involved a fair bit of overlap and waste. As the Minister for Education and Training, it is my responsibility and my challenge to make sure that we meet those targets so that we meet the educational outcomes we seek to achieve - not the bureaucratic outcomes in “Silver City” and around the State, but the education outcomes for the students of the State for whom the whole system exists. The member’s last question was about the public education endowment trust. The public education endowment trust will continue to exist, but I will take a much closer look at the way its money is spent. In my view, the public education endowment trust is meant for public education. I consider it to be for government-funded education. I do not consider that it should be used to provide resources to non-government or private schools. Mr C.J. Barnett: It is for the children of this State regardless of whether they are in a Catholic school, a government school or an independent school. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: The Leader of the Opposition is wrong. The public education endowment trust was set up under legislation in 1907. The Leader of the Opposition clearly never read it in his five years as the Minister for Education. I have read it. What is more, I have read all the debate that went with it. The public education endowment trust was established so that the Government could provide education through government schools. Later, through land endowments and so on, it was used to realise assets when they became valuable. I am not satisfied with the way the public education endowment trust has been run. I have no response to the Leader of the Opposition’s interjection about having something against the Catholic school system. Mr Ron Dullard, the new chief executive officer of that system, said that the latest finance package we provided was fair. The Government is extraordinarily generous to the non-government sector, particularly to the Catholic sector. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you saying that this trust cannot be used for non-government schools? Mr A.J. CARPENTER: My direction to the Department of Education and Training with regard to the public education endowment trust is that the assets that are realisable from the - Mr C.J. Barnett: You are fighting the old social issues of the 1970s. Get up to date; it is 2003. Dr G.I. Gallop: Promoting our public schools is a big issue for Western Australia. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: I have addressed the issue as best I can. I will make one final point. Yesterday the Leader of the Opposition said that the Opposition had no intention of privatising schools. However, he has already done that through the funding arrangements. He and his cohorts in Canberra have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the non-government school system, including into some of the richest private schools in the State. One of the questions that will arise in the run-up to the next state election is whether the member for Darling Range will advocate increased funding to the richest private schools in the State at the expense of government schools. Is that what he will do? He is advocating a privatised school system. That is what he is doing. There is a clear difference between the Opposition and the Government; we advocate on behalf of all children.
Mr R.C. Kucera: A cash converter. The SPEAKER: Members, interjections are quite often disorderly but this particular outburst has stopped proceedings altogether. That is unacceptable. Mr J.H.D. DAY: I refer the minister to a letter from Mr Paul Albert, the Director General of the Department of Education and Training, to senior department officials, which states - The Department is in the continuing difficult situation of needing to realise the targets of $30 million and 200 FTE savings. The letter continues - The work being undertaken by the Functional Review Implementation Team . . . will impact on . . . the TAFE Colleges, the Curriculum Council, the Department of Education Services, the Country High Schools Hostels Authority and the Public Education Endowment Trust. (1) What recommendations did the Functional Review Taskforce make regarding these agencies’ authorities and trusts? (2) Will any of these recommendations result in funding cuts or staff reductions? (3) Will the public education endowment trust be maintained in its current form; and, if not, what changes will be made? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: (1)-(3) I thank the member for Darling Range for his question. I do not believe I have seen the letter to which the member referred from Paul Albert, the Director General of the Department of Education and Training. I am meeting with Mr Albert today, so I will clarify with him whether it is the case that he was referring in his letter to the expectation that the Government will realise savings of $30 million from the amalgamation of the Department of Education with the Department of Training. Part of the reason for the amalgamation was to effect a saving of 200 full-time equivalents from both departments across all activities of education and training. Essentially, Mr Albert is saying in his letter that the Government will have to look at the budgets across the entire scope of education and training to make sure that the Government can meet these targets. As the member has said before, it is one thing to have a target; it is another to realise it. The member raised that in the context of the budget, and he is right. That is the challenge. I must realise savings of $30 million. Mr J.H.D. Day: Tell us how you are doing it. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: We are doing that by looking at every activity in which the Department of Education and Training is engaged. We will make sure that we can guarantee that we are getting the best possible results from those activities. We must make savings of $30 million so that that money can be reinvested into educational programs, not to cut the budget. Mr J.H.D. Day interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: We are doing it. We must make savings of $30 million to fund the programs we want to put into place. Perhaps the member and I will disagree on this point, but it comes down to being able to manage the budget and to make sure that the department and all the elements that comprise education and training in Western Australia are focused. The Government must ensure that no waste or duplication occurs within those departments. If the Department of Education and the Department of Training had been amalgamated and the same amount of money was being spent and everybody was filling the same roles and doing the same activities, it would be reasonable to suggest that that involved a fair bit of overlap and waste. As the Minister for Education and Training, it is my responsibility and my challenge to make sure that we meet those targets so that we meet the educational outcomes we seek to achieve - not the bureaucratic outcomes in “Silver City” and around the State, but the education outcomes for the students of the State for whom the whole system exists. The member’s last question was about the public education endowment trust. The public education endowment trust will continue to exist, but I will take a much closer look at the way its money is spent. In my view, the public education endowment trust is meant for public education. I consider it to be for government-funded education. I do not consider that it should be used to provide resources to non-government or private schools. Mr C.J. Barnett: It is for the children of this State regardless of whether they are in a Catholic school, a government school or an independent school. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: The Leader of the Opposition is wrong. The public education endowment trust was set up under legislation in 1907. The Leader of the Opposition clearly never read it in his five years as the Minister for Education. I have read it. What is more, I have read all the debate that went with it. The public education endowment trust was established so that the Government could provide education through government schools. Later, through land endowments and so on, it was used to realise assets when they became valuable. I am not satisfied with the way the public education endowment trust has been run. I have no response to the Leader of the Opposition’s interjection about having something against the Catholic school system. Mr Ron Dullard, the new chief executive officer of that system, said that the latest finance package we provided was fair. The Government is extraordinarily generous to the non-government sector, particularly to the Catholic sector. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you saying that this trust cannot be used for non-government schools? Mr A.J. CARPENTER: My direction to the Department of Education and Training with regard to the public education endowment trust is that the assets that are realisable from the - Mr C.J. Barnett: You are fighting the old social issues of the 1970s. Get up to date; it is 2003. Dr G.I. Gallop: Promoting our public schools is a big issue for Western Australia. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: I have addressed the issue as best I can. I will make one final point. Yesterday the Leader of the Opposition said that the Opposition had no intention of privatising schools. However, he has already done that through the funding arrangements. He and his cohorts in Canberra have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the non-government school system, including into some of the richest private schools in the State. One of the questions that will arise in the run-up to the next state election is whether the member for Darling Range will advocate increased funding to the richest private schools in the State at the expense of government schools. Is that what he will do? He is advocating a privatised school system. That is what he is doing. There is a clear difference between the Opposition and the Government; we advocate on behalf of all children.
The SPEAKER: Members, interjections are quite often disorderly but this particular outburst has stopped proceedings altogether. That is unacceptable. Mr J.H.D. DAY: I refer the minister to a letter from Mr Paul Albert, the Director General of the Department of Education and Training, to senior department officials, which states - The Department is in the continuing difficult situation of needing to realise the targets of $30 million and 200 FTE savings. The letter continues - The work being undertaken by the Functional Review Implementation Team . . . will impact on . . . the TAFE Colleges, the Curriculum Council, the Department of Education Services, the Country High Schools Hostels Authority and the Public Education Endowment Trust. (1) What recommendations did the Functional Review Taskforce make regarding these agencies’ authorities and trusts? (2) Will any of these recommendations result in funding cuts or staff reductions? (3) Will the public education endowment trust be maintained in its current form; and, if not, what changes will be made? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: (1)-(3) I thank the member for Darling Range for his question. I do not believe I have seen the letter to which the member referred from Paul Albert, the Director General of the Department of Education and Training. I am meeting with Mr Albert today, so I will clarify with him whether it is the case that he was referring in his letter to the expectation that the Government will realise savings of $30 million from the amalgamation of the Department of Education with the Department of Training. Part of the reason for the amalgamation was to effect a saving of 200 full-time equivalents from both departments across all activities of education and training. Essentially, Mr Albert is saying in his letter that the Government will have to look at the budgets across the entire scope of education and training to make sure that the Government can meet these targets. As the member has said before, it is one thing to have a target; it is another to realise it. The member raised that in the context of the budget, and he is right. That is the challenge. I must realise savings of $30 million. Mr J.H.D. Day: Tell us how you are doing it. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: We are doing that by looking at every activity in which the Department of Education and Training is engaged. We will make sure that we can guarantee that we are getting the best possible results from those activities. We must make savings of $30 million so that that money can be reinvested into educational programs, not to cut the budget. Mr J.H.D. Day interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: We are doing it. We must make savings of $30 million to fund the programs we want to put into place. Perhaps the member and I will disagree on this point, but it comes down to being able to manage the budget and to make sure that the department and all the elements that comprise education and training in Western Australia are focused. The Government must ensure that no waste or duplication occurs within those departments. If the Department of Education and the Department of Training had been amalgamated and the same amount of money was being spent and everybody was filling the same roles and doing the same activities, it would be reasonable to suggest that that involved a fair bit of overlap and waste. As the Minister for Education and Training, it is my responsibility and my challenge to make sure that we meet those targets so that we meet the educational outcomes we seek to achieve - not the bureaucratic outcomes in “Silver City” and around the State, but the education outcomes for the students of the State for whom the whole system exists. The member’s last question was about the public education endowment trust. The public education endowment trust will continue to exist, but I will take a much closer look at the way its money is spent. In my view, the public education endowment trust is meant for public education. I consider it to be for government-funded education. I do not consider that it should be used to provide resources to non-government or private schools. Mr C.J. Barnett: It is for the children of this State regardless of whether they are in a Catholic school, a government school or an independent school. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: The Leader of the Opposition is wrong. The public education endowment trust was set up under legislation in 1907. The Leader of the Opposition clearly never read it in his five years as the Minister for Education. I have read it. What is more, I have read all the debate that went with it. The public education endowment trust was established so that the Government could provide education through government schools. Later, through land endowments and so on, it was used to realise assets when they became valuable. I am not satisfied with the way the public education endowment trust has been run. I have no response to the Leader of the Opposition’s interjection about having something against the Catholic school system. Mr Ron Dullard, the new chief executive officer of that system, said that the latest finance package we provided was fair. The Government is extraordinarily generous to the non-government sector, particularly to the Catholic sector. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you saying that this trust cannot be used for non-government schools? Mr A.J. CARPENTER: My direction to the Department of Education and Training with regard to the public education endowment trust is that the assets that are realisable from the - Mr C.J. Barnett: You are fighting the old social issues of the 1970s. Get up to date; it is 2003. Dr G.I. Gallop: Promoting our public schools is a big issue for Western Australia. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: I have addressed the issue as best I can. I will make one final point. Yesterday the Leader of the Opposition said that the Opposition had no intention of privatising schools. However, he has already done that through the funding arrangements. He and his cohorts in Canberra have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the non-government school system, including into some of the richest private schools in the State. One of the questions that will arise in the run-up to the next state election is whether the member for Darling Range will advocate increased funding to the richest private schools in the State at the expense of government schools. Is that what he will do? He is advocating a privatised school system. That is what he is doing. There is a clear difference between the Opposition and the Government; we advocate on behalf of all children.
Mr J.H.D. DAY: I refer the minister to a letter from Mr Paul Albert, the Director General of the Department of Education and Training, to senior department officials, which states - The Department is in the continuing difficult situation of needing to realise the targets of $30 million and 200 FTE savings. The letter continues - The work being undertaken by the Functional Review Implementation Team . . . will impact on . . . the TAFE Colleges, the Curriculum Council, the Department of Education Services, the Country High Schools Hostels Authority and the Public Education Endowment Trust. (1) What recommendations did the Functional Review Taskforce make regarding these agencies’ authorities and trusts? (2) Will any of these recommendations result in funding cuts or staff reductions? (3) Will the public education endowment trust be maintained in its current form; and, if not, what changes will be made? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: (1)-(3) I thank the member for Darling Range for his question. I do not believe I have seen the letter to which the member referred from Paul Albert, the Director General of the Department of Education and Training. I am meeting with Mr Albert today, so I will clarify with him whether it is the case that he was referring in his letter to the expectation that the Government will realise savings of $30 million from the amalgamation of the Department of Education with the Department of Training. Part of the reason for the amalgamation was to effect a saving of 200 full-time equivalents from both departments across all activities of education and training. Essentially, Mr Albert is saying in his letter that the Government will have to look at the budgets across the entire scope of education and training to make sure that the Government can meet these targets. As the member has said before, it is one thing to have a target; it is another to realise it. The member raised that in the context of the budget, and he is right. That is the challenge. I must realise savings of $30 million. Mr J.H.D. Day: Tell us how you are doing it. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: We are doing that by looking at every activity in which the Department of Education and Training is engaged. We will make sure that we can guarantee that we are getting the best possible results from those activities. We must make savings of $30 million so that that money can be reinvested into educational programs, not to cut the budget. Mr J.H.D. Day interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: We are doing it. We must make savings of $30 million to fund the programs we want to put into place. Perhaps the member and I will disagree on this point, but it comes down to being able to manage the budget and to make sure that the department and all the elements that comprise education and training in Western Australia are focused. The Government must ensure that no waste or duplication occurs within those departments. If the Department of Education and the Department of Training had been amalgamated and the same amount of money was being spent and everybody was filling the same roles and doing the same activities, it would be reasonable to suggest that that involved a fair bit of overlap and waste. As the Minister for Education and Training, it is my responsibility and my challenge to make sure that we meet those targets so that we meet the educational outcomes we seek to achieve - not the bureaucratic outcomes in “Silver City” and around the State, but the education outcomes for the students of the State for whom the whole system exists. The member’s last question was about the public education endowment trust. The public education endowment trust will continue to exist, but I will take a much closer look at the way its money is spent. In my view, the public education endowment trust is meant for public education. I consider it to be for government-funded education. I do not consider that it should be used to provide resources to non-government or private schools. Mr C.J. Barnett: It is for the children of this State regardless of whether they are in a Catholic school, a government school or an independent school. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: The Leader of the Opposition is wrong. The public education endowment trust was set up under legislation in 1907. The Leader of the Opposition clearly never read it in his five years as the Minister for Education. I have read it. What is more, I have read all the debate that went with it. The public education endowment trust was established so that the Government could provide education through government schools. Later, through land endowments and so on, it was used to realise assets when they became valuable. I am not satisfied with the way the public education endowment trust has been run. I have no response to the Leader of the Opposition’s interjection about having something against the Catholic school system. Mr Ron Dullard, the new chief executive officer of that system, said that the latest finance package we provided was fair. The Government is extraordinarily generous to the non-government sector, particularly to the Catholic sector. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you saying that this trust cannot be used for non-government schools? Mr A.J. CARPENTER: My direction to the Department of Education and Training with regard to the public education endowment trust is that the assets that are realisable from the - Mr C.J. Barnett: You are fighting the old social issues of the 1970s. Get up to date; it is 2003. Dr G.I. Gallop: Promoting our public schools is a big issue for Western Australia. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: I have addressed the issue as best I can. I will make one final point. Yesterday the Leader of the Opposition said that the Opposition had no intention of privatising schools. However, he has already done that through the funding arrangements. He and his cohorts in Canberra have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the non-government school system, including into some of the richest private schools in the State. One of the questions that will arise in the run-up to the next state election is whether the member for Darling Range will advocate increased funding to the richest private schools in the State at the expense of government schools. Is that what he will do? He is advocating a privatised school system. That is what he is doing. There is a clear difference between the Opposition and the Government; we advocate on behalf of all children.
(2) Will any of these recommendations result in funding cuts or staff reductions? (3) Will the public education endowment trust be maintained in its current form; and, if not, what changes will be made? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: (1)-(3) I thank the member for Darling Range for his question. I do not believe I have seen the letter to which the member referred from Paul Albert, the Director General of the Department of Education and Training. I am meeting with Mr Albert today, so I will clarify with him whether it is the case that he was referring in his letter to the expectation that the Government will realise savings of $30 million from the amalgamation of the Department of Education with the Department of Training. Part of the reason for the amalgamation was to effect a saving of 200 full-time equivalents from both departments across all activities of education and training. Essentially, Mr Albert is saying in his letter that the Government will have to look at the budgets across the entire scope of education and training to make sure that the Government can meet these targets. As the member has said before, it is one thing to have a target; it is another to realise it. The member raised that in the context of the budget, and he is right. That is the challenge. I must realise savings of $30 million. Mr J.H.D. Day: Tell us how you are doing it. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: We are doing that by looking at every activity in which the Department of Education and Training is engaged. We will make sure that we can guarantee that we are getting the best possible results from those activities. We must make savings of $30 million so that that money can be reinvested into educational programs, not to cut the budget. Mr J.H.D. Day interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: We are doing it. We must make savings of $30 million to fund the programs we want to put into place. Perhaps the member and I will disagree on this point, but it comes down to being able to manage the budget and to make sure that the department and all the elements that comprise education and training in Western Australia are focused. The Government must ensure that no waste or duplication occurs within those departments. If the Department of Education and the Department of Training had been amalgamated and the same amount of money was being spent and everybody was filling the same roles and doing the same activities, it would be reasonable to suggest that that involved a fair bit of overlap and waste. As the Minister for Education and Training, it is my responsibility and my challenge to make sure that we meet those targets so that we meet the educational outcomes we seek to achieve - not the bureaucratic outcomes in “Silver City” and around the State, but the education outcomes for the students of the State for whom the whole system exists. The member’s last question was about the public education endowment trust. The public education endowment trust will continue to exist, but I will take a much closer look at the way its money is spent. In my view, the public education endowment trust is meant for public education. I consider it to be for government-funded education. I do not consider that it should be used to provide resources to non-government or private schools. Mr C.J. Barnett: It is for the children of this State regardless of whether they are in a Catholic school, a government school or an independent school. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: The Leader of the Opposition is wrong. The public education endowment trust was set up under legislation in 1907. The Leader of the Opposition clearly never read it in his five years as the Minister for Education. I have read it. What is more, I have read all the debate that went with it. The public education endowment trust was established so that the Government could provide education through government schools. Later, through land endowments and so on, it was used to realise assets when they became valuable. I am not satisfied with the way the public education endowment trust has been run. I have no response to the Leader of the Opposition’s interjection about having something against the Catholic school system. Mr Ron Dullard, the new chief executive officer of that system, said that the latest finance package we provided was fair. The Government is extraordinarily generous to the non-government sector, particularly to the Catholic sector. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you saying that this trust cannot be used for non-government schools? Mr A.J. CARPENTER: My direction to the Department of Education and Training with regard to the public education endowment trust is that the assets that are realisable from the - Mr C.J. Barnett: You are fighting the old social issues of the 1970s. Get up to date; it is 2003. Dr G.I. Gallop: Promoting our public schools is a big issue for Western Australia. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: I have addressed the issue as best I can. I will make one final point. Yesterday the Leader of the Opposition said that the Opposition had no intention of privatising schools. However, he has already done that through the funding arrangements. He and his cohorts in Canberra have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the non-government school system, including into some of the richest private schools in the State. One of the questions that will arise in the run-up to the next state election is whether the member for Darling Range will advocate increased funding to the richest private schools in the State at the expense of government schools. Is that what he will do? He is advocating a privatised school system. That is what he is doing. There is a clear difference between the Opposition and the Government; we advocate on behalf of all children.
(3) Will the public education endowment trust be maintained in its current form; and, if not, what changes will be made? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: (1)-(3) I thank the member for Darling Range for his question. I do not believe I have seen the letter to which the member referred from Paul Albert, the Director General of the Department of Education and Training. I am meeting with Mr Albert today, so I will clarify with him whether it is the case that he was referring in his letter to the expectation that the Government will realise savings of $30 million from the amalgamation of the Department of Education with the Department of Training. Part of the reason for the amalgamation was to effect a saving of 200 full-time equivalents from both departments across all activities of education and training. Essentially, Mr Albert is saying in his letter that the Government will have to look at the budgets across the entire scope of education and training to make sure that the Government can meet these targets. As the member has said before, it is one thing to have a target; it is another to realise it. The member raised that in the context of the budget, and he is right. That is the challenge. I must realise savings of $30 million. Mr J.H.D. Day: Tell us how you are doing it. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: We are doing that by looking at every activity in which the Department of Education and Training is engaged. We will make sure that we can guarantee that we are getting the best possible results from those activities. We must make savings of $30 million so that that money can be reinvested into educational programs, not to cut the budget. Mr J.H.D. Day interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: We are doing it. We must make savings of $30 million to fund the programs we want to put into place. Perhaps the member and I will disagree on this point, but it comes down to being able to manage the budget and to make sure that the department and all the elements that comprise education and training in Western Australia are focused. The Government must ensure that no waste or duplication occurs within those departments. If the Department of Education and the Department of Training had been amalgamated and the same amount of money was being spent and everybody was filling the same roles and doing the same activities, it would be reasonable to suggest that that involved a fair bit of overlap and waste. As the Minister for Education and Training, it is my responsibility and my challenge to make sure that we meet those targets so that we meet the educational outcomes we seek to achieve - not the bureaucratic outcomes in “Silver City” and around the State, but the education outcomes for the students of the State for whom the whole system exists. The member’s last question was about the public education endowment trust. The public education endowment trust will continue to exist, but I will take a much closer look at the way its money is spent. In my view, the public education endowment trust is meant for public education. I consider it to be for government-funded education. I do not consider that it should be used to provide resources to non-government or private schools. Mr C.J. Barnett: It is for the children of this State regardless of whether they are in a Catholic school, a government school or an independent school. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: The Leader of the Opposition is wrong. The public education endowment trust was set up under legislation in 1907. The Leader of the Opposition clearly never read it in his five years as the Minister for Education. I have read it. What is more, I have read all the debate that went with it. The public education endowment trust was established so that the Government could provide education through government schools. Later, through land endowments and so on, it was used to realise assets when they became valuable. I am not satisfied with the way the public education endowment trust has been run. I have no response to the Leader of the Opposition’s interjection about having something against the Catholic school system. Mr Ron Dullard, the new chief executive officer of that system, said that the latest finance package we provided was fair. The Government is extraordinarily generous to the non-government sector, particularly to the Catholic sector. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you saying that this trust cannot be used for non-government schools? Mr A.J. CARPENTER: My direction to the Department of Education and Training with regard to the public education endowment trust is that the assets that are realisable from the - Mr C.J. Barnett: You are fighting the old social issues of the 1970s. Get up to date; it is 2003. Dr G.I. Gallop: Promoting our public schools is a big issue for Western Australia. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: I have addressed the issue as best I can. I will make one final point. Yesterday the Leader of the Opposition said that the Opposition had no intention of privatising schools. However, he has already done that through the funding arrangements. He and his cohorts in Canberra have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the non-government school system, including into some of the richest private schools in the State. One of the questions that will arise in the run-up to the next state election is whether the member for Darling Range will advocate increased funding to the richest private schools in the State at the expense of government schools. Is that what he will do? He is advocating a privatised school system. That is what he is doing. There is a clear difference between the Opposition and the Government; we advocate on behalf of all children.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: (1)-(3) I thank the member for Darling Range for his question. I do not believe I have seen the letter to which the member referred from Paul Albert, the Director General of the Department of Education and Training. I am meeting with Mr Albert today, so I will clarify with him whether it is the case that he was referring in his letter to the expectation that the Government will realise savings of $30 million from the amalgamation of the Department of Education with the Department of Training. Part of the reason for the amalgamation was to effect a saving of 200 full-time equivalents from both departments across all activities of education and training. Essentially, Mr Albert is saying in his letter that the Government will have to look at the budgets across the entire scope of education and training to make sure that the Government can meet these targets. As the member has said before, it is one thing to have a target; it is another to realise it. The member raised that in the context of the budget, and he is right. That is the challenge. I must realise savings of $30 million. Mr J.H.D. Day: Tell us how you are doing it. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: We are doing that by looking at every activity in which the Department of Education and Training is engaged. We will make sure that we can guarantee that we are getting the best possible results from those activities. We must make savings of $30 million so that that money can be reinvested into educational programs, not to cut the budget. Mr J.H.D. Day interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: We are doing it. We must make savings of $30 million to fund the programs we want to put into place. Perhaps the member and I will disagree on this point, but it comes down to being able to manage the budget and to make sure that the department and all the elements that comprise education and training in Western Australia are focused. The Government must ensure that no waste or duplication occurs within those departments. If the Department of Education and the Department of Training had been amalgamated and the same amount of money was being spent and everybody was filling the same roles and doing the same activities, it would be reasonable to suggest that that involved a fair bit of overlap and waste. As the Minister for Education and Training, it is my responsibility and my challenge to make sure that we meet those targets so that we meet the educational outcomes we seek to achieve - not the bureaucratic outcomes in “Silver City” and around the State, but the education outcomes for the students of the State for whom the whole system exists. The member’s last question was about the public education endowment trust. The public education endowment trust will continue to exist, but I will take a much closer look at the way its money is spent. In my view, the public education endowment trust is meant for public education. I consider it to be for government-funded education. I do not consider that it should be used to provide resources to non-government or private schools. Mr C.J. Barnett: It is for the children of this State regardless of whether they are in a Catholic school, a government school or an independent school. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: The Leader of the Opposition is wrong. The public education endowment trust was set up under legislation in 1907. The Leader of the Opposition clearly never read it in his five years as the Minister for Education. I have read it. What is more, I have read all the debate that went with it. The public education endowment trust was established so that the Government could provide education through government schools. Later, through land endowments and so on, it was used to realise assets when they became valuable. I am not satisfied with the way the public education endowment trust has been run. I have no response to the Leader of the Opposition’s interjection about having something against the Catholic school system. Mr Ron Dullard, the new chief executive officer of that system, said that the latest finance package we provided was fair. The Government is extraordinarily generous to the non-government sector, particularly to the Catholic sector. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you saying that this trust cannot be used for non-government schools? Mr A.J. CARPENTER: My direction to the Department of Education and Training with regard to the public education endowment trust is that the assets that are realisable from the - Mr C.J. Barnett: You are fighting the old social issues of the 1970s. Get up to date; it is 2003. Dr G.I. Gallop: Promoting our public schools is a big issue for Western Australia. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: I have addressed the issue as best I can. I will make one final point. Yesterday the Leader of the Opposition said that the Opposition had no intention of privatising schools. However, he has already done that through the funding arrangements. He and his cohorts in Canberra have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the non-government school system, including into some of the richest private schools in the State. One of the questions that will arise in the run-up to the next state election is whether the member for Darling Range will advocate increased funding to the richest private schools in the State at the expense of government schools. Is that what he will do? He is advocating a privatised school system. That is what he is doing. There is a clear difference between the Opposition and the Government; we advocate on behalf of all children.
(1)-(3) I thank the member for Darling Range for his question. I do not believe I have seen the letter to which the member referred from Paul Albert, the Director General of the Department of Education and Training. I am meeting with Mr Albert today, so I will clarify with him whether it is the case that he was referring in his letter to the expectation that the Government will realise savings of $30 million from the amalgamation of the Department of Education with the Department of Training. Part of the reason for the amalgamation was to effect a saving of 200 full-time equivalents from both departments across all activities of education and training. Essentially, Mr Albert is saying in his letter that the Government will have to look at the budgets across the entire scope of education and training to make sure that the Government can meet these targets. As the member has said before, it is one thing to have a target; it is another to realise it. The member raised that in the context of the budget, and he is right. That is the challenge. I must realise savings of $30 million. Mr J.H.D. Day: Tell us how you are doing it. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: We are doing that by looking at every activity in which the Department of Education and Training is engaged. We will make sure that we can guarantee that we are getting the best possible results from those activities. We must make savings of $30 million so that that money can be reinvested into educational programs, not to cut the budget. Mr J.H.D. Day interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: We are doing it. We must make savings of $30 million to fund the programs we want to put into place. Perhaps the member and I will disagree on this point, but it comes down to being able to manage the budget and to make sure that the department and all the elements that comprise education and training in Western Australia are focused. The Government must ensure that no waste or duplication occurs within those departments. If the Department of Education and the Department of Training had been amalgamated and the same amount of money was being spent and everybody was filling the same roles and doing the same activities, it would be reasonable to suggest that that involved a fair bit of overlap and waste. As the Minister for Education and Training, it is my responsibility and my challenge to make sure that we meet those targets so that we meet the educational outcomes we seek to achieve - not the bureaucratic outcomes in “Silver City” and around the State, but the education outcomes for the students of the State for whom the whole system exists. The member’s last question was about the public education endowment trust. The public education endowment trust will continue to exist, but I will take a much closer look at the way its money is spent. In my view, the public education endowment trust is meant for public education. I consider it to be for government-funded education. I do not consider that it should be used to provide resources to non-government or private schools. Mr C.J. Barnett: It is for the children of this State regardless of whether they are in a Catholic school, a government school or an independent school. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: The Leader of the Opposition is wrong. The public education endowment trust was set up under legislation in 1907. The Leader of the Opposition clearly never read it in his five years as the Minister for Education. I have read it. What is more, I have read all the debate that went with it. The public education endowment trust was established so that the Government could provide education through government schools. Later, through land endowments and so on, it was used to realise assets when they became valuable. I am not satisfied with the way the public education endowment trust has been run. I have no response to the Leader of the Opposition’s interjection about having something against the Catholic school system. Mr Ron Dullard, the new chief executive officer of that system, said that the latest finance package we provided was fair. The Government is extraordinarily generous to the non-government sector, particularly to the Catholic sector. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you saying that this trust cannot be used for non-government schools? Mr A.J. CARPENTER: My direction to the Department of Education and Training with regard to the public education endowment trust is that the assets that are realisable from the - Mr C.J. Barnett: You are fighting the old social issues of the 1970s. Get up to date; it is 2003. Dr G.I. Gallop: Promoting our public schools is a big issue for Western Australia. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: I have addressed the issue as best I can. I will make one final point. Yesterday the Leader of the Opposition said that the Opposition had no intention of privatising schools. However, he has already done that through the funding arrangements. He and his cohorts in Canberra have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the non-government school system, including into some of the richest private schools in the State. One of the questions that will arise in the run-up to the next state election is whether the member for Darling Range will advocate increased funding to the richest private schools in the State at the expense of government schools. Is that what he will do? He is advocating a privatised school system. That is what he is doing. There is a clear difference between the Opposition and the Government; we advocate on behalf of all children.
Mr J.H.D. Day: Tell us how you are doing it. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: We are doing that by looking at every activity in which the Department of Education and Training is engaged. We will make sure that we can guarantee that we are getting the best possible results from those activities. We must make savings of $30 million so that that money can be reinvested into educational programs, not to cut the budget. Mr J.H.D. Day interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: We are doing it. We must make savings of $30 million to fund the programs we want to put into place. Perhaps the member and I will disagree on this point, but it comes down to being able to manage the budget and to make sure that the department and all the elements that comprise education and training in Western Australia are focused. The Government must ensure that no waste or duplication occurs within those departments. If the Department of Education and the Department of Training had been amalgamated and the same amount of money was being spent and everybody was filling the same roles and doing the same activities, it would be reasonable to suggest that that involved a fair bit of overlap and waste. As the Minister for Education and Training, it is my responsibility and my challenge to make sure that we meet those targets so that we meet the educational outcomes we seek to achieve - not the bureaucratic outcomes in “Silver City” and around the State, but the education outcomes for the students of the State for whom the whole system exists. The member’s last question was about the public education endowment trust. The public education endowment trust will continue to exist, but I will take a much closer look at the way its money is spent. In my view, the public education endowment trust is meant for public education. I consider it to be for government-funded education. I do not consider that it should be used to provide resources to non-government or private schools. Mr C.J. Barnett: It is for the children of this State regardless of whether they are in a Catholic school, a government school or an independent school. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: The Leader of the Opposition is wrong. The public education endowment trust was set up under legislation in 1907. The Leader of the Opposition clearly never read it in his five years as the Minister for Education. I have read it. What is more, I have read all the debate that went with it. The public education endowment trust was established so that the Government could provide education through government schools. Later, through land endowments and so on, it was used to realise assets when they became valuable. I am not satisfied with the way the public education endowment trust has been run. I have no response to the Leader of the Opposition’s interjection about having something against the Catholic school system. Mr Ron Dullard, the new chief executive officer of that system, said that the latest finance package we provided was fair. The Government is extraordinarily generous to the non-government sector, particularly to the Catholic sector. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you saying that this trust cannot be used for non-government schools? Mr A.J. CARPENTER: My direction to the Department of Education and Training with regard to the public education endowment trust is that the assets that are realisable from the - Mr C.J. Barnett: You are fighting the old social issues of the 1970s. Get up to date; it is 2003. Dr G.I. Gallop: Promoting our public schools is a big issue for Western Australia. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: I have addressed the issue as best I can. I will make one final point. Yesterday the Leader of the Opposition said that the Opposition had no intention of privatising schools. However, he has already done that through the funding arrangements. He and his cohorts in Canberra have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the non-government school system, including into some of the richest private schools in the State. One of the questions that will arise in the run-up to the next state election is whether the member for Darling Range will advocate increased funding to the richest private schools in the State at the expense of government schools. Is that what he will do? He is advocating a privatised school system. That is what he is doing. There is a clear difference between the Opposition and the Government; we advocate on behalf of all children.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER: We are doing that by looking at every activity in which the Department of Education and Training is engaged. We will make sure that we can guarantee that we are getting the best possible results from those activities. We must make savings of $30 million so that that money can be reinvested into educational programs, not to cut the budget. Mr J.H.D. Day interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: We are doing it. We must make savings of $30 million to fund the programs we want to put into place. Perhaps the member and I will disagree on this point, but it comes down to being able to manage the budget and to make sure that the department and all the elements that comprise education and training in Western Australia are focused. The Government must ensure that no waste or duplication occurs within those departments. If the Department of Education and the Department of Training had been amalgamated and the same amount of money was being spent and everybody was filling the same roles and doing the same activities, it would be reasonable to suggest that that involved a fair bit of overlap and waste. As the Minister for Education and Training, it is my responsibility and my challenge to make sure that we meet those targets so that we meet the educational outcomes we seek to achieve - not the bureaucratic outcomes in “Silver City” and around the State, but the education outcomes for the students of the State for whom the whole system exists. The member’s last question was about the public education endowment trust. The public education endowment trust will continue to exist, but I will take a much closer look at the way its money is spent. In my view, the public education endowment trust is meant for public education. I consider it to be for government-funded education. I do not consider that it should be used to provide resources to non-government or private schools. Mr C.J. Barnett: It is for the children of this State regardless of whether they are in a Catholic school, a government school or an independent school. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: The Leader of the Opposition is wrong. The public education endowment trust was set up under legislation in 1907. The Leader of the Opposition clearly never read it in his five years as the Minister for Education. I have read it. What is more, I have read all the debate that went with it. The public education endowment trust was established so that the Government could provide education through government schools. Later, through land endowments and so on, it was used to realise assets when they became valuable. I am not satisfied with the way the public education endowment trust has been run. I have no response to the Leader of the Opposition’s interjection about having something against the Catholic school system. Mr Ron Dullard, the new chief executive officer of that system, said that the latest finance package we provided was fair. The Government is extraordinarily generous to the non-government sector, particularly to the Catholic sector. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you saying that this trust cannot be used for non-government schools? Mr A.J. CARPENTER: My direction to the Department of Education and Training with regard to the public education endowment trust is that the assets that are realisable from the - Mr C.J. Barnett: You are fighting the old social issues of the 1970s. Get up to date; it is 2003. Dr G.I. Gallop: Promoting our public schools is a big issue for Western Australia. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: I have addressed the issue as best I can. I will make one final point. Yesterday the Leader of the Opposition said that the Opposition had no intention of privatising schools. However, he has already done that through the funding arrangements. He and his cohorts in Canberra have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the non-government school system, including into some of the richest private schools in the State. One of the questions that will arise in the run-up to the next state election is whether the member for Darling Range will advocate increased funding to the richest private schools in the State at the expense of government schools. Is that what he will do? He is advocating a privatised school system. That is what he is doing. There is a clear difference between the Opposition and the Government; we advocate on behalf of all children.
Mr J.H.D. Day interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: We are doing it. We must make savings of $30 million to fund the programs we want to put into place. Perhaps the member and I will disagree on this point, but it comes down to being able to manage the budget and to make sure that the department and all the elements that comprise education and training in Western Australia are focused. The Government must ensure that no waste or duplication occurs within those departments. If the Department of Education and the Department of Training had been amalgamated and the same amount of money was being spent and everybody was filling the same roles and doing the same activities, it would be reasonable to suggest that that involved a fair bit of overlap and waste. As the Minister for Education and Training, it is my responsibility and my challenge to make sure that we meet those targets so that we meet the educational outcomes we seek to achieve - not the bureaucratic outcomes in “Silver City” and around the State, but the education outcomes for the students of the State for whom the whole system exists. The member’s last question was about the public education endowment trust. The public education endowment trust will continue to exist, but I will take a much closer look at the way its money is spent. In my view, the public education endowment trust is meant for public education. I consider it to be for government-funded education. I do not consider that it should be used to provide resources to non-government or private schools. Mr C.J. Barnett: It is for the children of this State regardless of whether they are in a Catholic school, a government school or an independent school. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: The Leader of the Opposition is wrong. The public education endowment trust was set up under legislation in 1907. The Leader of the Opposition clearly never read it in his five years as the Minister for Education. I have read it. What is more, I have read all the debate that went with it. The public education endowment trust was established so that the Government could provide education through government schools. Later, through land endowments and so on, it was used to realise assets when they became valuable. I am not satisfied with the way the public education endowment trust has been run. I have no response to the Leader of the Opposition’s interjection about having something against the Catholic school system. Mr Ron Dullard, the new chief executive officer of that system, said that the latest finance package we provided was fair. The Government is extraordinarily generous to the non-government sector, particularly to the Catholic sector. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you saying that this trust cannot be used for non-government schools? Mr A.J. CARPENTER: My direction to the Department of Education and Training with regard to the public education endowment trust is that the assets that are realisable from the - Mr C.J. Barnett: You are fighting the old social issues of the 1970s. Get up to date; it is 2003. Dr G.I. Gallop: Promoting our public schools is a big issue for Western Australia. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: I have addressed the issue as best I can. I will make one final point. Yesterday the Leader of the Opposition said that the Opposition had no intention of privatising schools. However, he has already done that through the funding arrangements. He and his cohorts in Canberra have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the non-government school system, including into some of the richest private schools in the State. One of the questions that will arise in the run-up to the next state election is whether the member for Darling Range will advocate increased funding to the richest private schools in the State at the expense of government schools. Is that what he will do? He is advocating a privatised school system. That is what he is doing. There is a clear difference between the Opposition and the Government; we advocate on behalf of all children.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER: We are doing it. We must make savings of $30 million to fund the programs we want to put into place. Perhaps the member and I will disagree on this point, but it comes down to being able to manage the budget and to make sure that the department and all the elements that comprise education and training in Western Australia are focused. The Government must ensure that no waste or duplication occurs within those departments. If the Department of Education and the Department of Training had been amalgamated and the same amount of money was being spent and everybody was filling the same roles and doing the same activities, it would be reasonable to suggest that that involved a fair bit of overlap and waste. As the Minister for Education and Training, it is my responsibility and my challenge to make sure that we meet those targets so that we meet the educational outcomes we seek to achieve - not the bureaucratic outcomes in “Silver City” and around the State, but the education outcomes for the students of the State for whom the whole system exists. The member’s last question was about the public education endowment trust. The public education endowment trust will continue to exist, but I will take a much closer look at the way its money is spent. In my view, the public education endowment trust is meant for public education. I consider it to be for government-funded education. I do not consider that it should be used to provide resources to non-government or private schools. Mr C.J. Barnett: It is for the children of this State regardless of whether they are in a Catholic school, a government school or an independent school. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: The Leader of the Opposition is wrong. The public education endowment trust was set up under legislation in 1907. The Leader of the Opposition clearly never read it in his five years as the Minister for Education. I have read it. What is more, I have read all the debate that went with it. The public education endowment trust was established so that the Government could provide education through government schools. Later, through land endowments and so on, it was used to realise assets when they became valuable. I am not satisfied with the way the public education endowment trust has been run. I have no response to the Leader of the Opposition’s interjection about having something against the Catholic school system. Mr Ron Dullard, the new chief executive officer of that system, said that the latest finance package we provided was fair. The Government is extraordinarily generous to the non-government sector, particularly to the Catholic sector. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you saying that this trust cannot be used for non-government schools? Mr A.J. CARPENTER: My direction to the Department of Education and Training with regard to the public education endowment trust is that the assets that are realisable from the - Mr C.J. Barnett: You are fighting the old social issues of the 1970s. Get up to date; it is 2003. Dr G.I. Gallop: Promoting our public schools is a big issue for Western Australia. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: I have addressed the issue as best I can. I will make one final point. Yesterday the Leader of the Opposition said that the Opposition had no intention of privatising schools. However, he has already done that through the funding arrangements. He and his cohorts in Canberra have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the non-government school system, including into some of the richest private schools in the State. One of the questions that will arise in the run-up to the next state election is whether the member for Darling Range will advocate increased funding to the richest private schools in the State at the expense of government schools. Is that what he will do? He is advocating a privatised school system. That is what he is doing. There is a clear difference between the Opposition and the Government; we advocate on behalf of all children.
The member’s last question was about the public education endowment trust. The public education endowment trust will continue to exist, but I will take a much closer look at the way its money is spent. In my view, the public education endowment trust is meant for public education. I consider it to be for government-funded education. I do not consider that it should be used to provide resources to non-government or private schools. Mr C.J. Barnett: It is for the children of this State regardless of whether they are in a Catholic school, a government school or an independent school. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: The Leader of the Opposition is wrong. The public education endowment trust was set up under legislation in 1907. The Leader of the Opposition clearly never read it in his five years as the Minister for Education. I have read it. What is more, I have read all the debate that went with it. The public education endowment trust was established so that the Government could provide education through government schools. Later, through land endowments and so on, it was used to realise assets when they became valuable. I am not satisfied with the way the public education endowment trust has been run. I have no response to the Leader of the Opposition’s interjection about having something against the Catholic school system. Mr Ron Dullard, the new chief executive officer of that system, said that the latest finance package we provided was fair. The Government is extraordinarily generous to the non-government sector, particularly to the Catholic sector. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you saying that this trust cannot be used for non-government schools? Mr A.J. CARPENTER: My direction to the Department of Education and Training with regard to the public education endowment trust is that the assets that are realisable from the - Mr C.J. Barnett: You are fighting the old social issues of the 1970s. Get up to date; it is 2003. Dr G.I. Gallop: Promoting our public schools is a big issue for Western Australia. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: I have addressed the issue as best I can. I will make one final point. Yesterday the Leader of the Opposition said that the Opposition had no intention of privatising schools. However, he has already done that through the funding arrangements. He and his cohorts in Canberra have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the non-government school system, including into some of the richest private schools in the State. One of the questions that will arise in the run-up to the next state election is whether the member for Darling Range will advocate increased funding to the richest private schools in the State at the expense of government schools. Is that what he will do? He is advocating a privatised school system. That is what he is doing. There is a clear difference between the Opposition and the Government; we advocate on behalf of all children.
Mr C.J. Barnett: It is for the children of this State regardless of whether they are in a Catholic school, a government school or an independent school. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: The Leader of the Opposition is wrong. The public education endowment trust was set up under legislation in 1907. The Leader of the Opposition clearly never read it in his five years as the Minister for Education. I have read it. What is more, I have read all the debate that went with it. The public education endowment trust was established so that the Government could provide education through government schools. Later, through land endowments and so on, it was used to realise assets when they became valuable. I am not satisfied with the way the public education endowment trust has been run. I have no response to the Leader of the Opposition’s interjection about having something against the Catholic school system. Mr Ron Dullard, the new chief executive officer of that system, said that the latest finance package we provided was fair. The Government is extraordinarily generous to the non-government sector, particularly to the Catholic sector. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you saying that this trust cannot be used for non-government schools? Mr A.J. CARPENTER: My direction to the Department of Education and Training with regard to the public education endowment trust is that the assets that are realisable from the - Mr C.J. Barnett: You are fighting the old social issues of the 1970s. Get up to date; it is 2003. Dr G.I. Gallop: Promoting our public schools is a big issue for Western Australia. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: I have addressed the issue as best I can. I will make one final point. Yesterday the Leader of the Opposition said that the Opposition had no intention of privatising schools. However, he has already done that through the funding arrangements. He and his cohorts in Canberra have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the non-government school system, including into some of the richest private schools in the State. One of the questions that will arise in the run-up to the next state election is whether the member for Darling Range will advocate increased funding to the richest private schools in the State at the expense of government schools. Is that what he will do? He is advocating a privatised school system. That is what he is doing. There is a clear difference between the Opposition and the Government; we advocate on behalf of all children.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER: The Leader of the Opposition is wrong. The public education endowment trust was set up under legislation in 1907. The Leader of the Opposition clearly never read it in his five years as the Minister for Education. I have read it. What is more, I have read all the debate that went with it. The public education endowment trust was established so that the Government could provide education through government schools. Later, through land endowments and so on, it was used to realise assets when they became valuable. I am not satisfied with the way the public education endowment trust has been run. I have no response to the Leader of the Opposition’s interjection about having something against the Catholic school system. Mr Ron Dullard, the new chief executive officer of that system, said that the latest finance package we provided was fair. The Government is extraordinarily generous to the non-government sector, particularly to the Catholic sector. Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you saying that this trust cannot be used for non-government schools? Mr A.J. CARPENTER: My direction to the Department of Education and Training with regard to the public education endowment trust is that the assets that are realisable from the - Mr C.J. Barnett: You are fighting the old social issues of the 1970s. Get up to date; it is 2003. Dr G.I. Gallop: Promoting our public schools is a big issue for Western Australia. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: I have addressed the issue as best I can. I will make one final point. Yesterday the Leader of the Opposition said that the Opposition had no intention of privatising schools. However, he has already done that through the funding arrangements. He and his cohorts in Canberra have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the non-government school system, including into some of the richest private schools in the State. One of the questions that will arise in the run-up to the next state election is whether the member for Darling Range will advocate increased funding to the richest private schools in the State at the expense of government schools. Is that what he will do? He is advocating a privatised school system. That is what he is doing. There is a clear difference between the Opposition and the Government; we advocate on behalf of all children.
Mr J.H.D. Day: Are you saying that this trust cannot be used for non-government schools? Mr A.J. CARPENTER: My direction to the Department of Education and Training with regard to the public education endowment trust is that the assets that are realisable from the - Mr C.J. Barnett: You are fighting the old social issues of the 1970s. Get up to date; it is 2003. Dr G.I. Gallop: Promoting our public schools is a big issue for Western Australia. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: I have addressed the issue as best I can. I will make one final point. Yesterday the Leader of the Opposition said that the Opposition had no intention of privatising schools. However, he has already done that through the funding arrangements. He and his cohorts in Canberra have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the non-government school system, including into some of the richest private schools in the State. One of the questions that will arise in the run-up to the next state election is whether the member for Darling Range will advocate increased funding to the richest private schools in the State at the expense of government schools. Is that what he will do? He is advocating a privatised school system. That is what he is doing. There is a clear difference between the Opposition and the Government; we advocate on behalf of all children.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER: My direction to the Department of Education and Training with regard to the public education endowment trust is that the assets that are realisable from the - Mr C.J. Barnett: You are fighting the old social issues of the 1970s. Get up to date; it is 2003. Dr G.I. Gallop: Promoting our public schools is a big issue for Western Australia. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: I have addressed the issue as best I can. I will make one final point. Yesterday the Leader of the Opposition said that the Opposition had no intention of privatising schools. However, he has already done that through the funding arrangements. He and his cohorts in Canberra have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the non-government school system, including into some of the richest private schools in the State. One of the questions that will arise in the run-up to the next state election is whether the member for Darling Range will advocate increased funding to the richest private schools in the State at the expense of government schools. Is that what he will do? He is advocating a privatised school system. That is what he is doing. There is a clear difference between the Opposition and the Government; we advocate on behalf of all children.
Mr C.J. Barnett: You are fighting the old social issues of the 1970s. Get up to date; it is 2003. Dr G.I. Gallop: Promoting our public schools is a big issue for Western Australia. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: I have addressed the issue as best I can. I will make one final point. Yesterday the Leader of the Opposition said that the Opposition had no intention of privatising schools. However, he has already done that through the funding arrangements. He and his cohorts in Canberra have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the non-government school system, including into some of the richest private schools in the State. One of the questions that will arise in the run-up to the next state election is whether the member for Darling Range will advocate increased funding to the richest private schools in the State at the expense of government schools. Is that what he will do? He is advocating a privatised school system. That is what he is doing. There is a clear difference between the Opposition and the Government; we advocate on behalf of all children.
Dr G.I. Gallop: Promoting our public schools is a big issue for Western Australia. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: I have addressed the issue as best I can. I will make one final point. Yesterday the Leader of the Opposition said that the Opposition had no intention of privatising schools. However, he has already done that through the funding arrangements. He and his cohorts in Canberra have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the non-government school system, including into some of the richest private schools in the State. One of the questions that will arise in the run-up to the next state election is whether the member for Darling Range will advocate increased funding to the richest private schools in the State at the expense of government schools. Is that what he will do? He is advocating a privatised school system. That is what he is doing. There is a clear difference between the Opposition and the Government; we advocate on behalf of all children.
The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: I have addressed the issue as best I can. I will make one final point. Yesterday the Leader of the Opposition said that the Opposition had no intention of privatising schools. However, he has already done that through the funding arrangements. He and his cohorts in Canberra have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the non-government school system, including into some of the richest private schools in the State. One of the questions that will arise in the run-up to the next state election is whether the member for Darling Range will advocate increased funding to the richest private schools in the State at the expense of government schools. Is that what he will do? He is advocating a privatised school system. That is what he is doing. There is a clear difference between the Opposition and the Government; we advocate on behalf of all children.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER: I have addressed the issue as best I can. I will make one final point. Yesterday the Leader of the Opposition said that the Opposition had no intention of privatising schools. However, he has already done that through the funding arrangements. He and his cohorts in Canberra have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the non-government school system, including into some of the richest private schools in the State. One of the questions that will arise in the run-up to the next state election is whether the member for Darling Range will advocate increased funding to the richest private schools in the State at the expense of government schools. Is that what he will do? He is advocating a privatised school system. That is what he is doing. There is a clear difference between the Opposition and the Government; we advocate on behalf of all children.
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