❓ Opposition Leader McGowan questions Premier Barnett on Education Minister Collier's performance, citing past financial losses and avoidance of an education rally. Barnett defends Collier, highlighting his role in independent public schools and criticising the rally's political nature.
AnsweredQoN 515Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
MINISTER FOR EDUCATION — PREMIER'S
SUPPORT
515. Mr M. McGOWAN to the Premier:
I refer to the Minister for Education's mismanagement
of the education portfolio, and his previous loss of $1 billion in the energy
portfolio.
(1) Why does the Premier continue to support Mr Collier as
education minister?
(2) Why is Mr Collier
avoiding addressing the education rally tomorrow, although a pair is on offer?
(3) Why does
the Premier not just remove him from his cabinet?
SUPPORT
515. Mr M. McGOWAN to the Premier:
I refer to the Minister for Education's mismanagement
of the education portfolio, and his previous loss of $1 billion in the energy
portfolio.
(1) Why does the Premier continue to support Mr Collier as
education minister?
(2) Why is Mr Collier
avoiding addressing the education rally tomorrow, although a pair is on offer?
(3) Why does
the Premier not just remove him from his cabinet?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3) Hon Peter Collier did not lose $1 billion on
energy —
Mr M. McGowan :
Yes, he did.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
He did not.
Mr M. McGowan :
Bring it on for debate.
The
SPEAKER : Just hold it a minute, please. Leader of the Opposition, I am just
going to say this again, and I am not going to say it a third time: you ask a
question, the Premier answers the question and you ask a supplementary
question.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : As to the solar panels issue, that was a policy that most
states adopted and a policy that was seen to be far too generous, and indeed in
the 2008 election we matched, as an opposition, the policy of the then
government. It is true. That is what we did; we matched it. It was estimated at
about $13.5 million, from memory. That all went wrong, and I think it is quite
inequitable. Most people on the grid system are now very heavily
cross-subsidising those who were quick enough, smart enough or fortunate enough
to put in a solar panel system on an overly generous scheme. That is not good
policy, and we have talked about that.
With respect to Muja A and B, Hon Peter Collier accepts
ministerial responsibility and I accept responsibility, but read the reports
the Minister for Energy tabled last week. There was not a good performance by
the utility, by any stretch of the imagination. We made a decision to finish
that refurbishment, and, hopefully, with a bit of luck and if those units
perform well, we will essentially recover from that. But no-one is proud of those
two issues, and they are probably the two things that went wrong that stick
out, I guess, over five years of good government.
On education: Hon Peter Collier, the minister, was the
architect of independent public schools when we were in opposition. It was put
in place by former Minister Constable, but back then he was the architect, and
today I think 235 schools are independent public schools. Go into any of those
schools and ask them if they would want to go back to the old system; I do not
think they would. The efficiency and operation of those schools and the
motivation of teachers has been fantastic. We look for improved academic
performance out of those schools; that evidence is not there, but I am
confident it will emerge as this scheme becomes embedded. I think that is
terrific.
With respect to the rally, again, United Voice had the
courtesy to invite the minister to its rally and invite him to speak—well
done! The State School Teachers' Union of WA had its rally, did not
have the courtesy to invite the minister and did not have the courtesy to
invite me —
Mr M. McGowan : It
has tomorrow.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
It did not!
Mr M. McGowan : It
has tomorrow.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
Indeed, by any standard it was a joint Labor Party–teachers'
union rally, two days before a federal election. That is what it was, plain and
simple. Bill Shorten, the state Leader of the Opposition and other prominent
Labor people were there. Bill Shorten was even behaving badly, waving placards
behind Minister Collier; it was very immature and very poor behaviour, and he
is going to be the Labor Party's next federal leader!
Several members interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
That was a political rally. I am sure thousands of teachers will turn up at
Gloucester Park or wherever it is tomorrow, but I tell members that a lot of
those teachers will wonder why they are there, particularly when they read the
paper tomorrow morning about the AAA credit rating, because they will realise
they are wasting their time because those decisions on education have been made
and will not change. I think Minister Collier is a damn good education
minister.
Mr B.S. Wyatt : So
there are cuts then?
Mr T.R. Buswell :
He didn't say that.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
There is a $300 million budget increase and, as members opposite know, we are
redeploying 25 000 members of the teaching workforce across our schools. Yes,
there is a cut within the school support program resource allocation funding
and so on, which is about one per cent to two per cent of the school budget, I
might say.
Mr T.R. Buswell interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
Troy.
We are making some decisions. The Labor Party is not up for
it. I tell members opposite that I think the majority of teachers and school
principals are up for it, and I have confidence in them.
energy —
Mr M. McGowan :
Yes, he did.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
He did not.
Mr M. McGowan :
Bring it on for debate.
The
SPEAKER : Just hold it a minute, please. Leader of the Opposition, I am just
going to say this again, and I am not going to say it a third time: you ask a
question, the Premier answers the question and you ask a supplementary
question.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : As to the solar panels issue, that was a policy that most
states adopted and a policy that was seen to be far too generous, and indeed in
the 2008 election we matched, as an opposition, the policy of the then
government. It is true. That is what we did; we matched it. It was estimated at
about $13.5 million, from memory. That all went wrong, and I think it is quite
inequitable. Most people on the grid system are now very heavily
cross-subsidising those who were quick enough, smart enough or fortunate enough
to put in a solar panel system on an overly generous scheme. That is not good
policy, and we have talked about that.
With respect to Muja A and B, Hon Peter Collier accepts
ministerial responsibility and I accept responsibility, but read the reports
the Minister for Energy tabled last week. There was not a good performance by
the utility, by any stretch of the imagination. We made a decision to finish
that refurbishment, and, hopefully, with a bit of luck and if those units
perform well, we will essentially recover from that. But no-one is proud of those
two issues, and they are probably the two things that went wrong that stick
out, I guess, over five years of good government.
On education: Hon Peter Collier, the minister, was the
architect of independent public schools when we were in opposition. It was put
in place by former Minister Constable, but back then he was the architect, and
today I think 235 schools are independent public schools. Go into any of those
schools and ask them if they would want to go back to the old system; I do not
think they would. The efficiency and operation of those schools and the
motivation of teachers has been fantastic. We look for improved academic
performance out of those schools; that evidence is not there, but I am
confident it will emerge as this scheme becomes embedded. I think that is
terrific.
With respect to the rally, again, United Voice had the
courtesy to invite the minister to its rally and invite him to speak—well
done! The State School Teachers' Union of WA had its rally, did not
have the courtesy to invite the minister and did not have the courtesy to
invite me —
Mr M. McGowan : It
has tomorrow.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
It did not!
Mr M. McGowan : It
has tomorrow.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
Indeed, by any standard it was a joint Labor Party–teachers'
union rally, two days before a federal election. That is what it was, plain and
simple. Bill Shorten, the state Leader of the Opposition and other prominent
Labor people were there. Bill Shorten was even behaving badly, waving placards
behind Minister Collier; it was very immature and very poor behaviour, and he
is going to be the Labor Party's next federal leader!
Several members interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
That was a political rally. I am sure thousands of teachers will turn up at
Gloucester Park or wherever it is tomorrow, but I tell members that a lot of
those teachers will wonder why they are there, particularly when they read the
paper tomorrow morning about the AAA credit rating, because they will realise
they are wasting their time because those decisions on education have been made
and will not change. I think Minister Collier is a damn good education
minister.
Mr B.S. Wyatt : So
there are cuts then?
Mr T.R. Buswell :
He didn't say that.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
There is a $300 million budget increase and, as members opposite know, we are
redeploying 25 000 members of the teaching workforce across our schools. Yes,
there is a cut within the school support program resource allocation funding
and so on, which is about one per cent to two per cent of the school budget, I
might say.
Mr T.R. Buswell interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
Troy.
We are making some decisions. The Labor Party is not up for
it. I tell members opposite that I think the majority of teachers and school
principals are up for it, and I have confidence in them.
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