❓ Question regarding state government providing alternative flagpole funding for schools due to onerous conditions placed by the Commonwealth government. Minister defends state rights in education funding.
AnsweredQoN 335Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
Thank you, Mr President. Hon Bruce Donaldson : A dorothy dixer! Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD : The member should not be like that. He has not even heard the question yet. Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! I inform Hon Ken Travers that Hon Graham Giffard has the call. Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD : Will the Minister for Education and Training advise the house why the state government is providing alternative flagpole funding for schools - Hon Simon O’Brien : This is dealing with the serious issues of the state. Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD : I will not respond, Mr President, to those unruly interjections. The PRESIDENT : Please continue with the question. Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD : To continue, how does this relate to the conditions that apply to federal funding of the Western Australian school sector? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for some notice of this question. The state government is providing alternative flagpole funding for schools because of the onerous conditions placed on Western Australian schools by the commonwealth government as part of its funding arrangements. I have already made it clear that the federal government is trampling over this state’s rights. It is my job to protect the educational interests of Western Australia and the Western Australian community, and that is exactly what I will do. I am proud to be a part of a long chain of education ministers who defend state rights. I note, in a bipartisan spirit, that former education ministers Hon Norman Moore and Hon Colin Barnett are also state rights men. That is commendable. I understand that the member for Darling Range is also a state rights person on matters of education and training. However, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. I must say that the weakest link is the opposition spokesperson on education, because he is undoubtedly a Canberra lickspittle. Point of Order Hon Barry House interjected. The PRESIDENT: Order! The Leader of the Opposition has the call on a point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time. It would be much appreciated by the opposition if the minister would answer the question instead of going off on a tangent, which she does every time she stands to answer a question. There is only a set amount of time for question time. If she wants to do this sort of thing all the time, it will destroy the whole notion of question time. I ask you to ask her to be relevant in her answers. The PRESIDENT: Thank you, Leader of the Opposition. I have two points to make. First, I am very conscious that a certain amount of business needs to be transacted by the house by 5.00 pm. Therefore, question time will not be as long as it was yesterday. Second, I am reminded of what Hon Clive Griffiths used to say; members might not like what they hear, but they are here to listen. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you very much, Mr President. For the interest of members, I will explain what a lickspittle is. It is very important, because I do not want anybody to think that I have dreamt this up, because I have not. Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : Mr President, my previous point of order had nothing to do with the opposition having to wear what the minister was saying, but was about whether what the minister was saying was relevant to the question. As far as I know, a lickspittle has absolutely nothing to do with flagpoles. The PRESIDENT: The minister’s answer is relevant. I trust that she is drawing her answer to a close. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I beg to differ. Despite his protestations, the opposition spokesperson on education has supported Brendan Nelson’s unwarranted intrusion on this state’s rights. I show to members a chart that demonstrates the funding contributions of the commonwealth and the state, both in schools and training. Do members opposite mean to tell me that a commonwealth government that makes an investment of 8.4 per cent in an education system that takes $2.699 billion to run - Hon Norman Moore interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No. Do members opposite expect that I, as Minister for Education and Training, will allow the federal minister to call the shots on who will or will not attend a flag-raising ceremony? Quite frankly, he will not, for the price of a flagpole - $1 000 - control who will and will not walk into our school grounds. It is as simple as that! He will not do that while I am education minister.
Hon Bruce Donaldson : A dorothy dixer! Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD : The member should not be like that. He has not even heard the question yet. Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! I inform Hon Ken Travers that Hon Graham Giffard has the call. Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD : Will the Minister for Education and Training advise the house why the state government is providing alternative flagpole funding for schools - Hon Simon O’Brien : This is dealing with the serious issues of the state. Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD : I will not respond, Mr President, to those unruly interjections. The PRESIDENT : Please continue with the question. Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD : To continue, how does this relate to the conditions that apply to federal funding of the Western Australian school sector? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. The state government is providing alternative flagpole funding for schools because of the onerous conditions placed on Western Australian schools by the commonwealth government as part of its funding arrangements. I have already made it clear that the federal government is trampling over this state’s rights. It is my job to protect the educational interests of Western Australia and the Western Australian community, and that is exactly what I will do. I am proud to be a part of a long chain of education ministers who defend state rights. I note, in a bipartisan spirit, that former education ministers Hon Norman Moore and Hon Colin Barnett are also state rights men. That is commendable. I understand that the member for Darling Range is also a state rights person on matters of education and training. However, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. I must say that the weakest link is the opposition spokesperson on education, because he is undoubtedly a Canberra lickspittle. Point of Order Hon Barry House interjected. The PRESIDENT: Order! The Leader of the Opposition has the call on a point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time. It would be much appreciated by the opposition if the minister would answer the question instead of going off on a tangent, which she does every time she stands to answer a question. There is only a set amount of time for question time. If she wants to do this sort of thing all the time, it will destroy the whole notion of question time. I ask you to ask her to be relevant in her answers. The PRESIDENT: Thank you, Leader of the Opposition. I have two points to make. First, I am very conscious that a certain amount of business needs to be transacted by the house by 5.00 pm. Therefore, question time will not be as long as it was yesterday. Second, I am reminded of what Hon Clive Griffiths used to say; members might not like what they hear, but they are here to listen. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you very much, Mr President. For the interest of members, I will explain what a lickspittle is. It is very important, because I do not want anybody to think that I have dreamt this up, because I have not. Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : Mr President, my previous point of order had nothing to do with the opposition having to wear what the minister was saying, but was about whether what the minister was saying was relevant to the question. As far as I know, a lickspittle has absolutely nothing to do with flagpoles. The PRESIDENT: The minister’s answer is relevant. I trust that she is drawing her answer to a close. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I beg to differ. Despite his protestations, the opposition spokesperson on education has supported Brendan Nelson’s unwarranted intrusion on this state’s rights. I show to members a chart that demonstrates the funding contributions of the commonwealth and the state, both in schools and training. Do members opposite mean to tell me that a commonwealth government that makes an investment of 8.4 per cent in an education system that takes $2.699 billion to run - Hon Norman Moore interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No. Do members opposite expect that I, as Minister for Education and Training, will allow the federal minister to call the shots on who will or will not attend a flag-raising ceremony? Quite frankly, he will not, for the price of a flagpole - $1 000 - control who will and will not walk into our school grounds. It is as simple as that! He will not do that while I am education minister.
Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD : The member should not be like that. He has not even heard the question yet. Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! I inform Hon Ken Travers that Hon Graham Giffard has the call. Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD : Will the Minister for Education and Training advise the house why the state government is providing alternative flagpole funding for schools - Hon Simon O’Brien : This is dealing with the serious issues of the state. Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD : I will not respond, Mr President, to those unruly interjections. The PRESIDENT : Please continue with the question. Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD : To continue, how does this relate to the conditions that apply to federal funding of the Western Australian school sector? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. The state government is providing alternative flagpole funding for schools because of the onerous conditions placed on Western Australian schools by the commonwealth government as part of its funding arrangements. I have already made it clear that the federal government is trampling over this state’s rights. It is my job to protect the educational interests of Western Australia and the Western Australian community, and that is exactly what I will do. I am proud to be a part of a long chain of education ministers who defend state rights. I note, in a bipartisan spirit, that former education ministers Hon Norman Moore and Hon Colin Barnett are also state rights men. That is commendable. I understand that the member for Darling Range is also a state rights person on matters of education and training. However, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. I must say that the weakest link is the opposition spokesperson on education, because he is undoubtedly a Canberra lickspittle. Point of Order Hon Barry House interjected. The PRESIDENT: Order! The Leader of the Opposition has the call on a point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time. It would be much appreciated by the opposition if the minister would answer the question instead of going off on a tangent, which she does every time she stands to answer a question. There is only a set amount of time for question time. If she wants to do this sort of thing all the time, it will destroy the whole notion of question time. I ask you to ask her to be relevant in her answers. The PRESIDENT: Thank you, Leader of the Opposition. I have two points to make. First, I am very conscious that a certain amount of business needs to be transacted by the house by 5.00 pm. Therefore, question time will not be as long as it was yesterday. Second, I am reminded of what Hon Clive Griffiths used to say; members might not like what they hear, but they are here to listen. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you very much, Mr President. For the interest of members, I will explain what a lickspittle is. It is very important, because I do not want anybody to think that I have dreamt this up, because I have not. Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : Mr President, my previous point of order had nothing to do with the opposition having to wear what the minister was saying, but was about whether what the minister was saying was relevant to the question. As far as I know, a lickspittle has absolutely nothing to do with flagpoles. The PRESIDENT: The minister’s answer is relevant. I trust that she is drawing her answer to a close. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I beg to differ. Despite his protestations, the opposition spokesperson on education has supported Brendan Nelson’s unwarranted intrusion on this state’s rights. I show to members a chart that demonstrates the funding contributions of the commonwealth and the state, both in schools and training. Do members opposite mean to tell me that a commonwealth government that makes an investment of 8.4 per cent in an education system that takes $2.699 billion to run - Hon Norman Moore interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No. Do members opposite expect that I, as Minister for Education and Training, will allow the federal minister to call the shots on who will or will not attend a flag-raising ceremony? Quite frankly, he will not, for the price of a flagpole - $1 000 - control who will and will not walk into our school grounds. It is as simple as that! He will not do that while I am education minister.
Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! I inform Hon Ken Travers that Hon Graham Giffard has the call. Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD : Will the Minister for Education and Training advise the house why the state government is providing alternative flagpole funding for schools - Hon Simon O’Brien : This is dealing with the serious issues of the state. Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD : I will not respond, Mr President, to those unruly interjections. The PRESIDENT : Please continue with the question. Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD : To continue, how does this relate to the conditions that apply to federal funding of the Western Australian school sector? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. The state government is providing alternative flagpole funding for schools because of the onerous conditions placed on Western Australian schools by the commonwealth government as part of its funding arrangements. I have already made it clear that the federal government is trampling over this state’s rights. It is my job to protect the educational interests of Western Australia and the Western Australian community, and that is exactly what I will do. I am proud to be a part of a long chain of education ministers who defend state rights. I note, in a bipartisan spirit, that former education ministers Hon Norman Moore and Hon Colin Barnett are also state rights men. That is commendable. I understand that the member for Darling Range is also a state rights person on matters of education and training. However, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. I must say that the weakest link is the opposition spokesperson on education, because he is undoubtedly a Canberra lickspittle. Point of Order Hon Barry House interjected. The PRESIDENT: Order! The Leader of the Opposition has the call on a point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time. It would be much appreciated by the opposition if the minister would answer the question instead of going off on a tangent, which she does every time she stands to answer a question. There is only a set amount of time for question time. If she wants to do this sort of thing all the time, it will destroy the whole notion of question time. I ask you to ask her to be relevant in her answers. The PRESIDENT: Thank you, Leader of the Opposition. I have two points to make. First, I am very conscious that a certain amount of business needs to be transacted by the house by 5.00 pm. Therefore, question time will not be as long as it was yesterday. Second, I am reminded of what Hon Clive Griffiths used to say; members might not like what they hear, but they are here to listen. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you very much, Mr President. For the interest of members, I will explain what a lickspittle is. It is very important, because I do not want anybody to think that I have dreamt this up, because I have not. Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : Mr President, my previous point of order had nothing to do with the opposition having to wear what the minister was saying, but was about whether what the minister was saying was relevant to the question. As far as I know, a lickspittle has absolutely nothing to do with flagpoles. The PRESIDENT: The minister’s answer is relevant. I trust that she is drawing her answer to a close. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I beg to differ. Despite his protestations, the opposition spokesperson on education has supported Brendan Nelson’s unwarranted intrusion on this state’s rights. I show to members a chart that demonstrates the funding contributions of the commonwealth and the state, both in schools and training. Do members opposite mean to tell me that a commonwealth government that makes an investment of 8.4 per cent in an education system that takes $2.699 billion to run - Hon Norman Moore interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No. Do members opposite expect that I, as Minister for Education and Training, will allow the federal minister to call the shots on who will or will not attend a flag-raising ceremony? Quite frankly, he will not, for the price of a flagpole - $1 000 - control who will and will not walk into our school grounds. It is as simple as that! He will not do that while I am education minister.
The PRESIDENT : Order, members! I inform Hon Ken Travers that Hon Graham Giffard has the call. Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD : Will the Minister for Education and Training advise the house why the state government is providing alternative flagpole funding for schools - Hon Simon O’Brien : This is dealing with the serious issues of the state. Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD : I will not respond, Mr President, to those unruly interjections. The PRESIDENT : Please continue with the question. Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD : To continue, how does this relate to the conditions that apply to federal funding of the Western Australian school sector? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. The state government is providing alternative flagpole funding for schools because of the onerous conditions placed on Western Australian schools by the commonwealth government as part of its funding arrangements. I have already made it clear that the federal government is trampling over this state’s rights. It is my job to protect the educational interests of Western Australia and the Western Australian community, and that is exactly what I will do. I am proud to be a part of a long chain of education ministers who defend state rights. I note, in a bipartisan spirit, that former education ministers Hon Norman Moore and Hon Colin Barnett are also state rights men. That is commendable. I understand that the member for Darling Range is also a state rights person on matters of education and training. However, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. I must say that the weakest link is the opposition spokesperson on education, because he is undoubtedly a Canberra lickspittle. Point of Order Hon Barry House interjected. The PRESIDENT: Order! The Leader of the Opposition has the call on a point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time. It would be much appreciated by the opposition if the minister would answer the question instead of going off on a tangent, which she does every time she stands to answer a question. There is only a set amount of time for question time. If she wants to do this sort of thing all the time, it will destroy the whole notion of question time. I ask you to ask her to be relevant in her answers. The PRESIDENT: Thank you, Leader of the Opposition. I have two points to make. First, I am very conscious that a certain amount of business needs to be transacted by the house by 5.00 pm. Therefore, question time will not be as long as it was yesterday. Second, I am reminded of what Hon Clive Griffiths used to say; members might not like what they hear, but they are here to listen. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you very much, Mr President. For the interest of members, I will explain what a lickspittle is. It is very important, because I do not want anybody to think that I have dreamt this up, because I have not. Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : Mr President, my previous point of order had nothing to do with the opposition having to wear what the minister was saying, but was about whether what the minister was saying was relevant to the question. As far as I know, a lickspittle has absolutely nothing to do with flagpoles. The PRESIDENT: The minister’s answer is relevant. I trust that she is drawing her answer to a close. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I beg to differ. Despite his protestations, the opposition spokesperson on education has supported Brendan Nelson’s unwarranted intrusion on this state’s rights. I show to members a chart that demonstrates the funding contributions of the commonwealth and the state, both in schools and training. Do members opposite mean to tell me that a commonwealth government that makes an investment of 8.4 per cent in an education system that takes $2.699 billion to run - Hon Norman Moore interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No. Do members opposite expect that I, as Minister for Education and Training, will allow the federal minister to call the shots on who will or will not attend a flag-raising ceremony? Quite frankly, he will not, for the price of a flagpole - $1 000 - control who will and will not walk into our school grounds. It is as simple as that! He will not do that while I am education minister.
Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD : Will the Minister for Education and Training advise the house why the state government is providing alternative flagpole funding for schools - Hon Simon O’Brien : This is dealing with the serious issues of the state. Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD : I will not respond, Mr President, to those unruly interjections. The PRESIDENT : Please continue with the question. Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD : To continue, how does this relate to the conditions that apply to federal funding of the Western Australian school sector? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. The state government is providing alternative flagpole funding for schools because of the onerous conditions placed on Western Australian schools by the commonwealth government as part of its funding arrangements. I have already made it clear that the federal government is trampling over this state’s rights. It is my job to protect the educational interests of Western Australia and the Western Australian community, and that is exactly what I will do. I am proud to be a part of a long chain of education ministers who defend state rights. I note, in a bipartisan spirit, that former education ministers Hon Norman Moore and Hon Colin Barnett are also state rights men. That is commendable. I understand that the member for Darling Range is also a state rights person on matters of education and training. However, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. I must say that the weakest link is the opposition spokesperson on education, because he is undoubtedly a Canberra lickspittle. Point of Order Hon Barry House interjected. The PRESIDENT: Order! The Leader of the Opposition has the call on a point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time. It would be much appreciated by the opposition if the minister would answer the question instead of going off on a tangent, which she does every time she stands to answer a question. There is only a set amount of time for question time. If she wants to do this sort of thing all the time, it will destroy the whole notion of question time. I ask you to ask her to be relevant in her answers. The PRESIDENT: Thank you, Leader of the Opposition. I have two points to make. First, I am very conscious that a certain amount of business needs to be transacted by the house by 5.00 pm. Therefore, question time will not be as long as it was yesterday. Second, I am reminded of what Hon Clive Griffiths used to say; members might not like what they hear, but they are here to listen. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you very much, Mr President. For the interest of members, I will explain what a lickspittle is. It is very important, because I do not want anybody to think that I have dreamt this up, because I have not. Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : Mr President, my previous point of order had nothing to do with the opposition having to wear what the minister was saying, but was about whether what the minister was saying was relevant to the question. As far as I know, a lickspittle has absolutely nothing to do with flagpoles. The PRESIDENT: The minister’s answer is relevant. I trust that she is drawing her answer to a close. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I beg to differ. Despite his protestations, the opposition spokesperson on education has supported Brendan Nelson’s unwarranted intrusion on this state’s rights. I show to members a chart that demonstrates the funding contributions of the commonwealth and the state, both in schools and training. Do members opposite mean to tell me that a commonwealth government that makes an investment of 8.4 per cent in an education system that takes $2.699 billion to run - Hon Norman Moore interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No. Do members opposite expect that I, as Minister for Education and Training, will allow the federal minister to call the shots on who will or will not attend a flag-raising ceremony? Quite frankly, he will not, for the price of a flagpole - $1 000 - control who will and will not walk into our school grounds. It is as simple as that! He will not do that while I am education minister.
Hon Simon O’Brien : This is dealing with the serious issues of the state. Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD : I will not respond, Mr President, to those unruly interjections. The PRESIDENT : Please continue with the question. Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD : To continue, how does this relate to the conditions that apply to federal funding of the Western Australian school sector? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. The state government is providing alternative flagpole funding for schools because of the onerous conditions placed on Western Australian schools by the commonwealth government as part of its funding arrangements. I have already made it clear that the federal government is trampling over this state’s rights. It is my job to protect the educational interests of Western Australia and the Western Australian community, and that is exactly what I will do. I am proud to be a part of a long chain of education ministers who defend state rights. I note, in a bipartisan spirit, that former education ministers Hon Norman Moore and Hon Colin Barnett are also state rights men. That is commendable. I understand that the member for Darling Range is also a state rights person on matters of education and training. However, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. I must say that the weakest link is the opposition spokesperson on education, because he is undoubtedly a Canberra lickspittle. Point of Order Hon Barry House interjected. The PRESIDENT: Order! The Leader of the Opposition has the call on a point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time. It would be much appreciated by the opposition if the minister would answer the question instead of going off on a tangent, which she does every time she stands to answer a question. There is only a set amount of time for question time. If she wants to do this sort of thing all the time, it will destroy the whole notion of question time. I ask you to ask her to be relevant in her answers. The PRESIDENT: Thank you, Leader of the Opposition. I have two points to make. First, I am very conscious that a certain amount of business needs to be transacted by the house by 5.00 pm. Therefore, question time will not be as long as it was yesterday. Second, I am reminded of what Hon Clive Griffiths used to say; members might not like what they hear, but they are here to listen. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you very much, Mr President. For the interest of members, I will explain what a lickspittle is. It is very important, because I do not want anybody to think that I have dreamt this up, because I have not. Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : Mr President, my previous point of order had nothing to do with the opposition having to wear what the minister was saying, but was about whether what the minister was saying was relevant to the question. As far as I know, a lickspittle has absolutely nothing to do with flagpoles. The PRESIDENT: The minister’s answer is relevant. I trust that she is drawing her answer to a close. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I beg to differ. Despite his protestations, the opposition spokesperson on education has supported Brendan Nelson’s unwarranted intrusion on this state’s rights. I show to members a chart that demonstrates the funding contributions of the commonwealth and the state, both in schools and training. Do members opposite mean to tell me that a commonwealth government that makes an investment of 8.4 per cent in an education system that takes $2.699 billion to run - Hon Norman Moore interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No. Do members opposite expect that I, as Minister for Education and Training, will allow the federal minister to call the shots on who will or will not attend a flag-raising ceremony? Quite frankly, he will not, for the price of a flagpole - $1 000 - control who will and will not walk into our school grounds. It is as simple as that! He will not do that while I am education minister.
Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD : I will not respond, Mr President, to those unruly interjections. The PRESIDENT : Please continue with the question. Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD : To continue, how does this relate to the conditions that apply to federal funding of the Western Australian school sector? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. The state government is providing alternative flagpole funding for schools because of the onerous conditions placed on Western Australian schools by the commonwealth government as part of its funding arrangements. I have already made it clear that the federal government is trampling over this state’s rights. It is my job to protect the educational interests of Western Australia and the Western Australian community, and that is exactly what I will do. I am proud to be a part of a long chain of education ministers who defend state rights. I note, in a bipartisan spirit, that former education ministers Hon Norman Moore and Hon Colin Barnett are also state rights men. That is commendable. I understand that the member for Darling Range is also a state rights person on matters of education and training. However, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. I must say that the weakest link is the opposition spokesperson on education, because he is undoubtedly a Canberra lickspittle. Point of Order Hon Barry House interjected. The PRESIDENT: Order! The Leader of the Opposition has the call on a point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time. It would be much appreciated by the opposition if the minister would answer the question instead of going off on a tangent, which she does every time she stands to answer a question. There is only a set amount of time for question time. If she wants to do this sort of thing all the time, it will destroy the whole notion of question time. I ask you to ask her to be relevant in her answers. The PRESIDENT: Thank you, Leader of the Opposition. I have two points to make. First, I am very conscious that a certain amount of business needs to be transacted by the house by 5.00 pm. Therefore, question time will not be as long as it was yesterday. Second, I am reminded of what Hon Clive Griffiths used to say; members might not like what they hear, but they are here to listen. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you very much, Mr President. For the interest of members, I will explain what a lickspittle is. It is very important, because I do not want anybody to think that I have dreamt this up, because I have not. Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : Mr President, my previous point of order had nothing to do with the opposition having to wear what the minister was saying, but was about whether what the minister was saying was relevant to the question. As far as I know, a lickspittle has absolutely nothing to do with flagpoles. The PRESIDENT: The minister’s answer is relevant. I trust that she is drawing her answer to a close. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I beg to differ. Despite his protestations, the opposition spokesperson on education has supported Brendan Nelson’s unwarranted intrusion on this state’s rights. I show to members a chart that demonstrates the funding contributions of the commonwealth and the state, both in schools and training. Do members opposite mean to tell me that a commonwealth government that makes an investment of 8.4 per cent in an education system that takes $2.699 billion to run - Hon Norman Moore interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No. Do members opposite expect that I, as Minister for Education and Training, will allow the federal minister to call the shots on who will or will not attend a flag-raising ceremony? Quite frankly, he will not, for the price of a flagpole - $1 000 - control who will and will not walk into our school grounds. It is as simple as that! He will not do that while I am education minister.
The PRESIDENT : Please continue with the question. Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD : To continue, how does this relate to the conditions that apply to federal funding of the Western Australian school sector? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. The state government is providing alternative flagpole funding for schools because of the onerous conditions placed on Western Australian schools by the commonwealth government as part of its funding arrangements. I have already made it clear that the federal government is trampling over this state’s rights. It is my job to protect the educational interests of Western Australia and the Western Australian community, and that is exactly what I will do. I am proud to be a part of a long chain of education ministers who defend state rights. I note, in a bipartisan spirit, that former education ministers Hon Norman Moore and Hon Colin Barnett are also state rights men. That is commendable. I understand that the member for Darling Range is also a state rights person on matters of education and training. However, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. I must say that the weakest link is the opposition spokesperson on education, because he is undoubtedly a Canberra lickspittle. Point of Order Hon Barry House interjected. The PRESIDENT: Order! The Leader of the Opposition has the call on a point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time. It would be much appreciated by the opposition if the minister would answer the question instead of going off on a tangent, which she does every time she stands to answer a question. There is only a set amount of time for question time. If she wants to do this sort of thing all the time, it will destroy the whole notion of question time. I ask you to ask her to be relevant in her answers. The PRESIDENT: Thank you, Leader of the Opposition. I have two points to make. First, I am very conscious that a certain amount of business needs to be transacted by the house by 5.00 pm. Therefore, question time will not be as long as it was yesterday. Second, I am reminded of what Hon Clive Griffiths used to say; members might not like what they hear, but they are here to listen. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you very much, Mr President. For the interest of members, I will explain what a lickspittle is. It is very important, because I do not want anybody to think that I have dreamt this up, because I have not. Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : Mr President, my previous point of order had nothing to do with the opposition having to wear what the minister was saying, but was about whether what the minister was saying was relevant to the question. As far as I know, a lickspittle has absolutely nothing to do with flagpoles. The PRESIDENT: The minister’s answer is relevant. I trust that she is drawing her answer to a close. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I beg to differ. Despite his protestations, the opposition spokesperson on education has supported Brendan Nelson’s unwarranted intrusion on this state’s rights. I show to members a chart that demonstrates the funding contributions of the commonwealth and the state, both in schools and training. Do members opposite mean to tell me that a commonwealth government that makes an investment of 8.4 per cent in an education system that takes $2.699 billion to run - Hon Norman Moore interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No. Do members opposite expect that I, as Minister for Education and Training, will allow the federal minister to call the shots on who will or will not attend a flag-raising ceremony? Quite frankly, he will not, for the price of a flagpole - $1 000 - control who will and will not walk into our school grounds. It is as simple as that! He will not do that while I am education minister.
Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD : To continue, how does this relate to the conditions that apply to federal funding of the Western Australian school sector? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. The state government is providing alternative flagpole funding for schools because of the onerous conditions placed on Western Australian schools by the commonwealth government as part of its funding arrangements. I have already made it clear that the federal government is trampling over this state’s rights. It is my job to protect the educational interests of Western Australia and the Western Australian community, and that is exactly what I will do. I am proud to be a part of a long chain of education ministers who defend state rights. I note, in a bipartisan spirit, that former education ministers Hon Norman Moore and Hon Colin Barnett are also state rights men. That is commendable. I understand that the member for Darling Range is also a state rights person on matters of education and training. However, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. I must say that the weakest link is the opposition spokesperson on education, because he is undoubtedly a Canberra lickspittle. Point of Order Hon Barry House interjected. The PRESIDENT: Order! The Leader of the Opposition has the call on a point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time. It would be much appreciated by the opposition if the minister would answer the question instead of going off on a tangent, which she does every time she stands to answer a question. There is only a set amount of time for question time. If she wants to do this sort of thing all the time, it will destroy the whole notion of question time. I ask you to ask her to be relevant in her answers. The PRESIDENT: Thank you, Leader of the Opposition. I have two points to make. First, I am very conscious that a certain amount of business needs to be transacted by the house by 5.00 pm. Therefore, question time will not be as long as it was yesterday. Second, I am reminded of what Hon Clive Griffiths used to say; members might not like what they hear, but they are here to listen. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you very much, Mr President. For the interest of members, I will explain what a lickspittle is. It is very important, because I do not want anybody to think that I have dreamt this up, because I have not. Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : Mr President, my previous point of order had nothing to do with the opposition having to wear what the minister was saying, but was about whether what the minister was saying was relevant to the question. As far as I know, a lickspittle has absolutely nothing to do with flagpoles. The PRESIDENT: The minister’s answer is relevant. I trust that she is drawing her answer to a close. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I beg to differ. Despite his protestations, the opposition spokesperson on education has supported Brendan Nelson’s unwarranted intrusion on this state’s rights. I show to members a chart that demonstrates the funding contributions of the commonwealth and the state, both in schools and training. Do members opposite mean to tell me that a commonwealth government that makes an investment of 8.4 per cent in an education system that takes $2.699 billion to run - Hon Norman Moore interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No. Do members opposite expect that I, as Minister for Education and Training, will allow the federal minister to call the shots on who will or will not attend a flag-raising ceremony? Quite frankly, he will not, for the price of a flagpole - $1 000 - control who will and will not walk into our school grounds. It is as simple as that! He will not do that while I am education minister.
Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. The state government is providing alternative flagpole funding for schools because of the onerous conditions placed on Western Australian schools by the commonwealth government as part of its funding arrangements. I have already made it clear that the federal government is trampling over this state’s rights. It is my job to protect the educational interests of Western Australia and the Western Australian community, and that is exactly what I will do. I am proud to be a part of a long chain of education ministers who defend state rights. I note, in a bipartisan spirit, that former education ministers Hon Norman Moore and Hon Colin Barnett are also state rights men. That is commendable. I understand that the member for Darling Range is also a state rights person on matters of education and training. However, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. I must say that the weakest link is the opposition spokesperson on education, because he is undoubtedly a Canberra lickspittle. Point of Order Hon Barry House interjected. The PRESIDENT: Order! The Leader of the Opposition has the call on a point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time. It would be much appreciated by the opposition if the minister would answer the question instead of going off on a tangent, which she does every time she stands to answer a question. There is only a set amount of time for question time. If she wants to do this sort of thing all the time, it will destroy the whole notion of question time. I ask you to ask her to be relevant in her answers. The PRESIDENT: Thank you, Leader of the Opposition. I have two points to make. First, I am very conscious that a certain amount of business needs to be transacted by the house by 5.00 pm. Therefore, question time will not be as long as it was yesterday. Second, I am reminded of what Hon Clive Griffiths used to say; members might not like what they hear, but they are here to listen. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you very much, Mr President. For the interest of members, I will explain what a lickspittle is. It is very important, because I do not want anybody to think that I have dreamt this up, because I have not. Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : Mr President, my previous point of order had nothing to do with the opposition having to wear what the minister was saying, but was about whether what the minister was saying was relevant to the question. As far as I know, a lickspittle has absolutely nothing to do with flagpoles. The PRESIDENT: The minister’s answer is relevant. I trust that she is drawing her answer to a close. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I beg to differ. Despite his protestations, the opposition spokesperson on education has supported Brendan Nelson’s unwarranted intrusion on this state’s rights. I show to members a chart that demonstrates the funding contributions of the commonwealth and the state, both in schools and training. Do members opposite mean to tell me that a commonwealth government that makes an investment of 8.4 per cent in an education system that takes $2.699 billion to run - Hon Norman Moore interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No. Do members opposite expect that I, as Minister for Education and Training, will allow the federal minister to call the shots on who will or will not attend a flag-raising ceremony? Quite frankly, he will not, for the price of a flagpole - $1 000 - control who will and will not walk into our school grounds. It is as simple as that! He will not do that while I am education minister.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. The state government is providing alternative flagpole funding for schools because of the onerous conditions placed on Western Australian schools by the commonwealth government as part of its funding arrangements. I have already made it clear that the federal government is trampling over this state’s rights. It is my job to protect the educational interests of Western Australia and the Western Australian community, and that is exactly what I will do. I am proud to be a part of a long chain of education ministers who defend state rights. I note, in a bipartisan spirit, that former education ministers Hon Norman Moore and Hon Colin Barnett are also state rights men. That is commendable. I understand that the member for Darling Range is also a state rights person on matters of education and training. However, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. I must say that the weakest link is the opposition spokesperson on education, because he is undoubtedly a Canberra lickspittle. Point of Order Hon Barry House interjected. The PRESIDENT: Order! The Leader of the Opposition has the call on a point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time. It would be much appreciated by the opposition if the minister would answer the question instead of going off on a tangent, which she does every time she stands to answer a question. There is only a set amount of time for question time. If she wants to do this sort of thing all the time, it will destroy the whole notion of question time. I ask you to ask her to be relevant in her answers. The PRESIDENT: Thank you, Leader of the Opposition. I have two points to make. First, I am very conscious that a certain amount of business needs to be transacted by the house by 5.00 pm. Therefore, question time will not be as long as it was yesterday. Second, I am reminded of what Hon Clive Griffiths used to say; members might not like what they hear, but they are here to listen. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you very much, Mr President. For the interest of members, I will explain what a lickspittle is. It is very important, because I do not want anybody to think that I have dreamt this up, because I have not. Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : Mr President, my previous point of order had nothing to do with the opposition having to wear what the minister was saying, but was about whether what the minister was saying was relevant to the question. As far as I know, a lickspittle has absolutely nothing to do with flagpoles. The PRESIDENT: The minister’s answer is relevant. I trust that she is drawing her answer to a close. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I beg to differ. Despite his protestations, the opposition spokesperson on education has supported Brendan Nelson’s unwarranted intrusion on this state’s rights. I show to members a chart that demonstrates the funding contributions of the commonwealth and the state, both in schools and training. Do members opposite mean to tell me that a commonwealth government that makes an investment of 8.4 per cent in an education system that takes $2.699 billion to run - Hon Norman Moore interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No. Do members opposite expect that I, as Minister for Education and Training, will allow the federal minister to call the shots on who will or will not attend a flag-raising ceremony? Quite frankly, he will not, for the price of a flagpole - $1 000 - control who will and will not walk into our school grounds. It is as simple as that! He will not do that while I am education minister.
The state government is providing alternative flagpole funding for schools because of the onerous conditions placed on Western Australian schools by the commonwealth government as part of its funding arrangements. I have already made it clear that the federal government is trampling over this state’s rights. It is my job to protect the educational interests of Western Australia and the Western Australian community, and that is exactly what I will do. I am proud to be a part of a long chain of education ministers who defend state rights. I note, in a bipartisan spirit, that former education ministers Hon Norman Moore and Hon Colin Barnett are also state rights men. That is commendable. I understand that the member for Darling Range is also a state rights person on matters of education and training. However, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. I must say that the weakest link is the opposition spokesperson on education, because he is undoubtedly a Canberra lickspittle. Point of Order Hon Barry House interjected. The PRESIDENT: Order! The Leader of the Opposition has the call on a point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time. It would be much appreciated by the opposition if the minister would answer the question instead of going off on a tangent, which she does every time she stands to answer a question. There is only a set amount of time for question time. If she wants to do this sort of thing all the time, it will destroy the whole notion of question time. I ask you to ask her to be relevant in her answers. The PRESIDENT: Thank you, Leader of the Opposition. I have two points to make. First, I am very conscious that a certain amount of business needs to be transacted by the house by 5.00 pm. Therefore, question time will not be as long as it was yesterday. Second, I am reminded of what Hon Clive Griffiths used to say; members might not like what they hear, but they are here to listen. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you very much, Mr President. For the interest of members, I will explain what a lickspittle is. It is very important, because I do not want anybody to think that I have dreamt this up, because I have not. Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : Mr President, my previous point of order had nothing to do with the opposition having to wear what the minister was saying, but was about whether what the minister was saying was relevant to the question. As far as I know, a lickspittle has absolutely nothing to do with flagpoles. The PRESIDENT: The minister’s answer is relevant. I trust that she is drawing her answer to a close. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I beg to differ. Despite his protestations, the opposition spokesperson on education has supported Brendan Nelson’s unwarranted intrusion on this state’s rights. I show to members a chart that demonstrates the funding contributions of the commonwealth and the state, both in schools and training. Do members opposite mean to tell me that a commonwealth government that makes an investment of 8.4 per cent in an education system that takes $2.699 billion to run - Hon Norman Moore interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No. Do members opposite expect that I, as Minister for Education and Training, will allow the federal minister to call the shots on who will or will not attend a flag-raising ceremony? Quite frankly, he will not, for the price of a flagpole - $1 000 - control who will and will not walk into our school grounds. It is as simple as that! He will not do that while I am education minister.
I am proud to be a part of a long chain of education ministers who defend state rights. I note, in a bipartisan spirit, that former education ministers Hon Norman Moore and Hon Colin Barnett are also state rights men. That is commendable. I understand that the member for Darling Range is also a state rights person on matters of education and training. However, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. I must say that the weakest link is the opposition spokesperson on education, because he is undoubtedly a Canberra lickspittle. Point of Order Hon Barry House interjected. The PRESIDENT: Order! The Leader of the Opposition has the call on a point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time. It would be much appreciated by the opposition if the minister would answer the question instead of going off on a tangent, which she does every time she stands to answer a question. There is only a set amount of time for question time. If she wants to do this sort of thing all the time, it will destroy the whole notion of question time. I ask you to ask her to be relevant in her answers. The PRESIDENT: Thank you, Leader of the Opposition. I have two points to make. First, I am very conscious that a certain amount of business needs to be transacted by the house by 5.00 pm. Therefore, question time will not be as long as it was yesterday. Second, I am reminded of what Hon Clive Griffiths used to say; members might not like what they hear, but they are here to listen. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you very much, Mr President. For the interest of members, I will explain what a lickspittle is. It is very important, because I do not want anybody to think that I have dreamt this up, because I have not. Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : Mr President, my previous point of order had nothing to do with the opposition having to wear what the minister was saying, but was about whether what the minister was saying was relevant to the question. As far as I know, a lickspittle has absolutely nothing to do with flagpoles. The PRESIDENT: The minister’s answer is relevant. I trust that she is drawing her answer to a close. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I beg to differ. Despite his protestations, the opposition spokesperson on education has supported Brendan Nelson’s unwarranted intrusion on this state’s rights. I show to members a chart that demonstrates the funding contributions of the commonwealth and the state, both in schools and training. Do members opposite mean to tell me that a commonwealth government that makes an investment of 8.4 per cent in an education system that takes $2.699 billion to run - Hon Norman Moore interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No. Do members opposite expect that I, as Minister for Education and Training, will allow the federal minister to call the shots on who will or will not attend a flag-raising ceremony? Quite frankly, he will not, for the price of a flagpole - $1 000 - control who will and will not walk into our school grounds. It is as simple as that! He will not do that while I am education minister.
The PRESIDENT: Order! The Leader of the Opposition has the call on a point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time. It would be much appreciated by the opposition if the minister would answer the question instead of going off on a tangent, which she does every time she stands to answer a question. There is only a set amount of time for question time. If she wants to do this sort of thing all the time, it will destroy the whole notion of question time. I ask you to ask her to be relevant in her answers. The PRESIDENT: Thank you, Leader of the Opposition. I have two points to make. First, I am very conscious that a certain amount of business needs to be transacted by the house by 5.00 pm. Therefore, question time will not be as long as it was yesterday. Second, I am reminded of what Hon Clive Griffiths used to say; members might not like what they hear, but they are here to listen. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you very much, Mr President. For the interest of members, I will explain what a lickspittle is. It is very important, because I do not want anybody to think that I have dreamt this up, because I have not. Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : Mr President, my previous point of order had nothing to do with the opposition having to wear what the minister was saying, but was about whether what the minister was saying was relevant to the question. As far as I know, a lickspittle has absolutely nothing to do with flagpoles. The PRESIDENT: The minister’s answer is relevant. I trust that she is drawing her answer to a close. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I beg to differ. Despite his protestations, the opposition spokesperson on education has supported Brendan Nelson’s unwarranted intrusion on this state’s rights. I show to members a chart that demonstrates the funding contributions of the commonwealth and the state, both in schools and training. Do members opposite mean to tell me that a commonwealth government that makes an investment of 8.4 per cent in an education system that takes $2.699 billion to run - Hon Norman Moore interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No. Do members opposite expect that I, as Minister for Education and Training, will allow the federal minister to call the shots on who will or will not attend a flag-raising ceremony? Quite frankly, he will not, for the price of a flagpole - $1 000 - control who will and will not walk into our school grounds. It is as simple as that! He will not do that while I am education minister.
Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time. It would be much appreciated by the opposition if the minister would answer the question instead of going off on a tangent, which she does every time she stands to answer a question. There is only a set amount of time for question time. If she wants to do this sort of thing all the time, it will destroy the whole notion of question time. I ask you to ask her to be relevant in her answers. The PRESIDENT: Thank you, Leader of the Opposition. I have two points to make. First, I am very conscious that a certain amount of business needs to be transacted by the house by 5.00 pm. Therefore, question time will not be as long as it was yesterday. Second, I am reminded of what Hon Clive Griffiths used to say; members might not like what they hear, but they are here to listen. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you very much, Mr President. For the interest of members, I will explain what a lickspittle is. It is very important, because I do not want anybody to think that I have dreamt this up, because I have not. Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : Mr President, my previous point of order had nothing to do with the opposition having to wear what the minister was saying, but was about whether what the minister was saying was relevant to the question. As far as I know, a lickspittle has absolutely nothing to do with flagpoles. The PRESIDENT: The minister’s answer is relevant. I trust that she is drawing her answer to a close. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I beg to differ. Despite his protestations, the opposition spokesperson on education has supported Brendan Nelson’s unwarranted intrusion on this state’s rights. I show to members a chart that demonstrates the funding contributions of the commonwealth and the state, both in schools and training. Do members opposite mean to tell me that a commonwealth government that makes an investment of 8.4 per cent in an education system that takes $2.699 billion to run - Hon Norman Moore interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No. Do members opposite expect that I, as Minister for Education and Training, will allow the federal minister to call the shots on who will or will not attend a flag-raising ceremony? Quite frankly, he will not, for the price of a flagpole - $1 000 - control who will and will not walk into our school grounds. It is as simple as that! He will not do that while I am education minister.
The PRESIDENT: Thank you, Leader of the Opposition. I have two points to make. First, I am very conscious that a certain amount of business needs to be transacted by the house by 5.00 pm. Therefore, question time will not be as long as it was yesterday. Second, I am reminded of what Hon Clive Griffiths used to say; members might not like what they hear, but they are here to listen. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you very much, Mr President. For the interest of members, I will explain what a lickspittle is. It is very important, because I do not want anybody to think that I have dreamt this up, because I have not. Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : Mr President, my previous point of order had nothing to do with the opposition having to wear what the minister was saying, but was about whether what the minister was saying was relevant to the question. As far as I know, a lickspittle has absolutely nothing to do with flagpoles. The PRESIDENT: The minister’s answer is relevant. I trust that she is drawing her answer to a close. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I beg to differ. Despite his protestations, the opposition spokesperson on education has supported Brendan Nelson’s unwarranted intrusion on this state’s rights. I show to members a chart that demonstrates the funding contributions of the commonwealth and the state, both in schools and training. Do members opposite mean to tell me that a commonwealth government that makes an investment of 8.4 per cent in an education system that takes $2.699 billion to run - Hon Norman Moore interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No. Do members opposite expect that I, as Minister for Education and Training, will allow the federal minister to call the shots on who will or will not attend a flag-raising ceremony? Quite frankly, he will not, for the price of a flagpole - $1 000 - control who will and will not walk into our school grounds. It is as simple as that! He will not do that while I am education minister.
The PRESIDENT: The minister’s answer is relevant. I trust that she is drawing her answer to a close. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I beg to differ. Despite his protestations, the opposition spokesperson on education has supported Brendan Nelson’s unwarranted intrusion on this state’s rights. I show to members a chart that demonstrates the funding contributions of the commonwealth and the state, both in schools and training. Do members opposite mean to tell me that a commonwealth government that makes an investment of 8.4 per cent in an education system that takes $2.699 billion to run - Hon Norman Moore interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No. Do members opposite expect that I, as Minister for Education and Training, will allow the federal minister to call the shots on who will or will not attend a flag-raising ceremony? Quite frankly, he will not, for the price of a flagpole - $1 000 - control who will and will not walk into our school grounds. It is as simple as that! He will not do that while I am education minister.
Hon Norman Moore interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No. Do members opposite expect that I, as Minister for Education and Training, will allow the federal minister to call the shots on who will or will not attend a flag-raising ceremony? Quite frankly, he will not, for the price of a flagpole - $1 000 - control who will and will not walk into our school grounds. It is as simple as that! He will not do that while I am education minister.
Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No. Do members opposite expect that I, as Minister for Education and Training, will allow the federal minister to call the shots on who will or will not attend a flag-raising ceremony? Quite frankly, he will not, for the price of a flagpole - $1 000 - control who will and will not walk into our school grounds. It is as simple as that! He will not do that while I am education minister.
Hon Bruce Donaldson : A dorothy dixer! Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD : The member should not be like that. He has not even heard the question yet. Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! I inform Hon Ken Travers that Hon Graham Giffard has the call. Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD : Will the Minister for Education and Training advise the house why the state government is providing alternative flagpole funding for schools - Hon Simon O’Brien : This is dealing with the serious issues of the state. Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD : I will not respond, Mr President, to those unruly interjections. The PRESIDENT : Please continue with the question. Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD : To continue, how does this relate to the conditions that apply to federal funding of the Western Australian school sector? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. The state government is providing alternative flagpole funding for schools because of the onerous conditions placed on Western Australian schools by the commonwealth government as part of its funding arrangements. I have already made it clear that the federal government is trampling over this state’s rights. It is my job to protect the educational interests of Western Australia and the Western Australian community, and that is exactly what I will do. I am proud to be a part of a long chain of education ministers who defend state rights. I note, in a bipartisan spirit, that former education ministers Hon Norman Moore and Hon Colin Barnett are also state rights men. That is commendable. I understand that the member for Darling Range is also a state rights person on matters of education and training. However, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. I must say that the weakest link is the opposition spokesperson on education, because he is undoubtedly a Canberra lickspittle. Point of Order Hon Barry House interjected. The PRESIDENT: Order! The Leader of the Opposition has the call on a point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time. It would be much appreciated by the opposition if the minister would answer the question instead of going off on a tangent, which she does every time she stands to answer a question. There is only a set amount of time for question time. If she wants to do this sort of thing all the time, it will destroy the whole notion of question time. I ask you to ask her to be relevant in her answers. The PRESIDENT: Thank you, Leader of the Opposition. I have two points to make. First, I am very conscious that a certain amount of business needs to be transacted by the house by 5.00 pm. Therefore, question time will not be as long as it was yesterday. Second, I am reminded of what Hon Clive Griffiths used to say; members might not like what they hear, but they are here to listen. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you very much, Mr President. For the interest of members, I will explain what a lickspittle is. It is very important, because I do not want anybody to think that I have dreamt this up, because I have not. Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : Mr President, my previous point of order had nothing to do with the opposition having to wear what the minister was saying, but was about whether what the minister was saying was relevant to the question. As far as I know, a lickspittle has absolutely nothing to do with flagpoles. The PRESIDENT: The minister’s answer is relevant. I trust that she is drawing her answer to a close. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I beg to differ. Despite his protestations, the opposition spokesperson on education has supported Brendan Nelson’s unwarranted intrusion on this state’s rights. I show to members a chart that demonstrates the funding contributions of the commonwealth and the state, both in schools and training. Do members opposite mean to tell me that a commonwealth government that makes an investment of 8.4 per cent in an education system that takes $2.699 billion to run - Hon Norman Moore interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No. Do members opposite expect that I, as Minister for Education and Training, will allow the federal minister to call the shots on who will or will not attend a flag-raising ceremony? Quite frankly, he will not, for the price of a flagpole - $1 000 - control who will and will not walk into our school grounds. It is as simple as that! He will not do that while I am education minister.
Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD : The member should not be like that. He has not even heard the question yet. Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! I inform Hon Ken Travers that Hon Graham Giffard has the call. Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD : Will the Minister for Education and Training advise the house why the state government is providing alternative flagpole funding for schools - Hon Simon O’Brien : This is dealing with the serious issues of the state. Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD : I will not respond, Mr President, to those unruly interjections. The PRESIDENT : Please continue with the question. Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD : To continue, how does this relate to the conditions that apply to federal funding of the Western Australian school sector? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. The state government is providing alternative flagpole funding for schools because of the onerous conditions placed on Western Australian schools by the commonwealth government as part of its funding arrangements. I have already made it clear that the federal government is trampling over this state’s rights. It is my job to protect the educational interests of Western Australia and the Western Australian community, and that is exactly what I will do. I am proud to be a part of a long chain of education ministers who defend state rights. I note, in a bipartisan spirit, that former education ministers Hon Norman Moore and Hon Colin Barnett are also state rights men. That is commendable. I understand that the member for Darling Range is also a state rights person on matters of education and training. However, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. I must say that the weakest link is the opposition spokesperson on education, because he is undoubtedly a Canberra lickspittle. Point of Order Hon Barry House interjected. The PRESIDENT: Order! The Leader of the Opposition has the call on a point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time. It would be much appreciated by the opposition if the minister would answer the question instead of going off on a tangent, which she does every time she stands to answer a question. There is only a set amount of time for question time. If she wants to do this sort of thing all the time, it will destroy the whole notion of question time. I ask you to ask her to be relevant in her answers. The PRESIDENT: Thank you, Leader of the Opposition. I have two points to make. First, I am very conscious that a certain amount of business needs to be transacted by the house by 5.00 pm. Therefore, question time will not be as long as it was yesterday. Second, I am reminded of what Hon Clive Griffiths used to say; members might not like what they hear, but they are here to listen. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you very much, Mr President. For the interest of members, I will explain what a lickspittle is. It is very important, because I do not want anybody to think that I have dreamt this up, because I have not. Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : Mr President, my previous point of order had nothing to do with the opposition having to wear what the minister was saying, but was about whether what the minister was saying was relevant to the question. As far as I know, a lickspittle has absolutely nothing to do with flagpoles. The PRESIDENT: The minister’s answer is relevant. I trust that she is drawing her answer to a close. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I beg to differ. Despite his protestations, the opposition spokesperson on education has supported Brendan Nelson’s unwarranted intrusion on this state’s rights. I show to members a chart that demonstrates the funding contributions of the commonwealth and the state, both in schools and training. Do members opposite mean to tell me that a commonwealth government that makes an investment of 8.4 per cent in an education system that takes $2.699 billion to run - Hon Norman Moore interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No. Do members opposite expect that I, as Minister for Education and Training, will allow the federal minister to call the shots on who will or will not attend a flag-raising ceremony? Quite frankly, he will not, for the price of a flagpole - $1 000 - control who will and will not walk into our school grounds. It is as simple as that! He will not do that while I am education minister.
Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT : Order, members! I inform Hon Ken Travers that Hon Graham Giffard has the call. Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD : Will the Minister for Education and Training advise the house why the state government is providing alternative flagpole funding for schools - Hon Simon O’Brien : This is dealing with the serious issues of the state. Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD : I will not respond, Mr President, to those unruly interjections. The PRESIDENT : Please continue with the question. Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD : To continue, how does this relate to the conditions that apply to federal funding of the Western Australian school sector? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. The state government is providing alternative flagpole funding for schools because of the onerous conditions placed on Western Australian schools by the commonwealth government as part of its funding arrangements. I have already made it clear that the federal government is trampling over this state’s rights. It is my job to protect the educational interests of Western Australia and the Western Australian community, and that is exactly what I will do. I am proud to be a part of a long chain of education ministers who defend state rights. I note, in a bipartisan spirit, that former education ministers Hon Norman Moore and Hon Colin Barnett are also state rights men. That is commendable. I understand that the member for Darling Range is also a state rights person on matters of education and training. However, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. I must say that the weakest link is the opposition spokesperson on education, because he is undoubtedly a Canberra lickspittle. Point of Order Hon Barry House interjected. The PRESIDENT: Order! The Leader of the Opposition has the call on a point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time. It would be much appreciated by the opposition if the minister would answer the question instead of going off on a tangent, which she does every time she stands to answer a question. There is only a set amount of time for question time. If she wants to do this sort of thing all the time, it will destroy the whole notion of question time. I ask you to ask her to be relevant in her answers. The PRESIDENT: Thank you, Leader of the Opposition. I have two points to make. First, I am very conscious that a certain amount of business needs to be transacted by the house by 5.00 pm. Therefore, question time will not be as long as it was yesterday. Second, I am reminded of what Hon Clive Griffiths used to say; members might not like what they hear, but they are here to listen. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you very much, Mr President. For the interest of members, I will explain what a lickspittle is. It is very important, because I do not want anybody to think that I have dreamt this up, because I have not. Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : Mr President, my previous point of order had nothing to do with the opposition having to wear what the minister was saying, but was about whether what the minister was saying was relevant to the question. As far as I know, a lickspittle has absolutely nothing to do with flagpoles. The PRESIDENT: The minister’s answer is relevant. I trust that she is drawing her answer to a close. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I beg to differ. Despite his protestations, the opposition spokesperson on education has supported Brendan Nelson’s unwarranted intrusion on this state’s rights. I show to members a chart that demonstrates the funding contributions of the commonwealth and the state, both in schools and training. Do members opposite mean to tell me that a commonwealth government that makes an investment of 8.4 per cent in an education system that takes $2.699 billion to run - Hon Norman Moore interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No. Do members opposite expect that I, as Minister for Education and Training, will allow the federal minister to call the shots on who will or will not attend a flag-raising ceremony? Quite frankly, he will not, for the price of a flagpole - $1 000 - control who will and will not walk into our school grounds. It is as simple as that! He will not do that while I am education minister.
The PRESIDENT : Order, members! I inform Hon Ken Travers that Hon Graham Giffard has the call. Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD : Will the Minister for Education and Training advise the house why the state government is providing alternative flagpole funding for schools - Hon Simon O’Brien : This is dealing with the serious issues of the state. Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD : I will not respond, Mr President, to those unruly interjections. The PRESIDENT : Please continue with the question. Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD : To continue, how does this relate to the conditions that apply to federal funding of the Western Australian school sector? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. The state government is providing alternative flagpole funding for schools because of the onerous conditions placed on Western Australian schools by the commonwealth government as part of its funding arrangements. I have already made it clear that the federal government is trampling over this state’s rights. It is my job to protect the educational interests of Western Australia and the Western Australian community, and that is exactly what I will do. I am proud to be a part of a long chain of education ministers who defend state rights. I note, in a bipartisan spirit, that former education ministers Hon Norman Moore and Hon Colin Barnett are also state rights men. That is commendable. I understand that the member for Darling Range is also a state rights person on matters of education and training. However, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. I must say that the weakest link is the opposition spokesperson on education, because he is undoubtedly a Canberra lickspittle. Point of Order Hon Barry House interjected. The PRESIDENT: Order! The Leader of the Opposition has the call on a point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time. It would be much appreciated by the opposition if the minister would answer the question instead of going off on a tangent, which she does every time she stands to answer a question. There is only a set amount of time for question time. If she wants to do this sort of thing all the time, it will destroy the whole notion of question time. I ask you to ask her to be relevant in her answers. The PRESIDENT: Thank you, Leader of the Opposition. I have two points to make. First, I am very conscious that a certain amount of business needs to be transacted by the house by 5.00 pm. Therefore, question time will not be as long as it was yesterday. Second, I am reminded of what Hon Clive Griffiths used to say; members might not like what they hear, but they are here to listen. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you very much, Mr President. For the interest of members, I will explain what a lickspittle is. It is very important, because I do not want anybody to think that I have dreamt this up, because I have not. Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : Mr President, my previous point of order had nothing to do with the opposition having to wear what the minister was saying, but was about whether what the minister was saying was relevant to the question. As far as I know, a lickspittle has absolutely nothing to do with flagpoles. The PRESIDENT: The minister’s answer is relevant. I trust that she is drawing her answer to a close. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I beg to differ. Despite his protestations, the opposition spokesperson on education has supported Brendan Nelson’s unwarranted intrusion on this state’s rights. I show to members a chart that demonstrates the funding contributions of the commonwealth and the state, both in schools and training. Do members opposite mean to tell me that a commonwealth government that makes an investment of 8.4 per cent in an education system that takes $2.699 billion to run - Hon Norman Moore interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No. Do members opposite expect that I, as Minister for Education and Training, will allow the federal minister to call the shots on who will or will not attend a flag-raising ceremony? Quite frankly, he will not, for the price of a flagpole - $1 000 - control who will and will not walk into our school grounds. It is as simple as that! He will not do that while I am education minister.
Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD : Will the Minister for Education and Training advise the house why the state government is providing alternative flagpole funding for schools - Hon Simon O’Brien : This is dealing with the serious issues of the state. Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD : I will not respond, Mr President, to those unruly interjections. The PRESIDENT : Please continue with the question. Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD : To continue, how does this relate to the conditions that apply to federal funding of the Western Australian school sector? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. The state government is providing alternative flagpole funding for schools because of the onerous conditions placed on Western Australian schools by the commonwealth government as part of its funding arrangements. I have already made it clear that the federal government is trampling over this state’s rights. It is my job to protect the educational interests of Western Australia and the Western Australian community, and that is exactly what I will do. I am proud to be a part of a long chain of education ministers who defend state rights. I note, in a bipartisan spirit, that former education ministers Hon Norman Moore and Hon Colin Barnett are also state rights men. That is commendable. I understand that the member for Darling Range is also a state rights person on matters of education and training. However, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. I must say that the weakest link is the opposition spokesperson on education, because he is undoubtedly a Canberra lickspittle. Point of Order Hon Barry House interjected. The PRESIDENT: Order! The Leader of the Opposition has the call on a point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time. It would be much appreciated by the opposition if the minister would answer the question instead of going off on a tangent, which she does every time she stands to answer a question. There is only a set amount of time for question time. If she wants to do this sort of thing all the time, it will destroy the whole notion of question time. I ask you to ask her to be relevant in her answers. The PRESIDENT: Thank you, Leader of the Opposition. I have two points to make. First, I am very conscious that a certain amount of business needs to be transacted by the house by 5.00 pm. Therefore, question time will not be as long as it was yesterday. Second, I am reminded of what Hon Clive Griffiths used to say; members might not like what they hear, but they are here to listen. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you very much, Mr President. For the interest of members, I will explain what a lickspittle is. It is very important, because I do not want anybody to think that I have dreamt this up, because I have not. Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : Mr President, my previous point of order had nothing to do with the opposition having to wear what the minister was saying, but was about whether what the minister was saying was relevant to the question. As far as I know, a lickspittle has absolutely nothing to do with flagpoles. The PRESIDENT: The minister’s answer is relevant. I trust that she is drawing her answer to a close. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I beg to differ. Despite his protestations, the opposition spokesperson on education has supported Brendan Nelson’s unwarranted intrusion on this state’s rights. I show to members a chart that demonstrates the funding contributions of the commonwealth and the state, both in schools and training. Do members opposite mean to tell me that a commonwealth government that makes an investment of 8.4 per cent in an education system that takes $2.699 billion to run - Hon Norman Moore interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No. Do members opposite expect that I, as Minister for Education and Training, will allow the federal minister to call the shots on who will or will not attend a flag-raising ceremony? Quite frankly, he will not, for the price of a flagpole - $1 000 - control who will and will not walk into our school grounds. It is as simple as that! He will not do that while I am education minister.
Hon Simon O’Brien : This is dealing with the serious issues of the state. Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD : I will not respond, Mr President, to those unruly interjections. The PRESIDENT : Please continue with the question. Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD : To continue, how does this relate to the conditions that apply to federal funding of the Western Australian school sector? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. The state government is providing alternative flagpole funding for schools because of the onerous conditions placed on Western Australian schools by the commonwealth government as part of its funding arrangements. I have already made it clear that the federal government is trampling over this state’s rights. It is my job to protect the educational interests of Western Australia and the Western Australian community, and that is exactly what I will do. I am proud to be a part of a long chain of education ministers who defend state rights. I note, in a bipartisan spirit, that former education ministers Hon Norman Moore and Hon Colin Barnett are also state rights men. That is commendable. I understand that the member for Darling Range is also a state rights person on matters of education and training. However, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. I must say that the weakest link is the opposition spokesperson on education, because he is undoubtedly a Canberra lickspittle. Point of Order Hon Barry House interjected. The PRESIDENT: Order! The Leader of the Opposition has the call on a point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time. It would be much appreciated by the opposition if the minister would answer the question instead of going off on a tangent, which she does every time she stands to answer a question. There is only a set amount of time for question time. If she wants to do this sort of thing all the time, it will destroy the whole notion of question time. I ask you to ask her to be relevant in her answers. The PRESIDENT: Thank you, Leader of the Opposition. I have two points to make. First, I am very conscious that a certain amount of business needs to be transacted by the house by 5.00 pm. Therefore, question time will not be as long as it was yesterday. Second, I am reminded of what Hon Clive Griffiths used to say; members might not like what they hear, but they are here to listen. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you very much, Mr President. For the interest of members, I will explain what a lickspittle is. It is very important, because I do not want anybody to think that I have dreamt this up, because I have not. Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : Mr President, my previous point of order had nothing to do with the opposition having to wear what the minister was saying, but was about whether what the minister was saying was relevant to the question. As far as I know, a lickspittle has absolutely nothing to do with flagpoles. The PRESIDENT: The minister’s answer is relevant. I trust that she is drawing her answer to a close. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I beg to differ. Despite his protestations, the opposition spokesperson on education has supported Brendan Nelson’s unwarranted intrusion on this state’s rights. I show to members a chart that demonstrates the funding contributions of the commonwealth and the state, both in schools and training. Do members opposite mean to tell me that a commonwealth government that makes an investment of 8.4 per cent in an education system that takes $2.699 billion to run - Hon Norman Moore interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No. Do members opposite expect that I, as Minister for Education and Training, will allow the federal minister to call the shots on who will or will not attend a flag-raising ceremony? Quite frankly, he will not, for the price of a flagpole - $1 000 - control who will and will not walk into our school grounds. It is as simple as that! He will not do that while I am education minister.
Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD : I will not respond, Mr President, to those unruly interjections. The PRESIDENT : Please continue with the question. Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD : To continue, how does this relate to the conditions that apply to federal funding of the Western Australian school sector? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. The state government is providing alternative flagpole funding for schools because of the onerous conditions placed on Western Australian schools by the commonwealth government as part of its funding arrangements. I have already made it clear that the federal government is trampling over this state’s rights. It is my job to protect the educational interests of Western Australia and the Western Australian community, and that is exactly what I will do. I am proud to be a part of a long chain of education ministers who defend state rights. I note, in a bipartisan spirit, that former education ministers Hon Norman Moore and Hon Colin Barnett are also state rights men. That is commendable. I understand that the member for Darling Range is also a state rights person on matters of education and training. However, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. I must say that the weakest link is the opposition spokesperson on education, because he is undoubtedly a Canberra lickspittle. Point of Order Hon Barry House interjected. The PRESIDENT: Order! The Leader of the Opposition has the call on a point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time. It would be much appreciated by the opposition if the minister would answer the question instead of going off on a tangent, which she does every time she stands to answer a question. There is only a set amount of time for question time. If she wants to do this sort of thing all the time, it will destroy the whole notion of question time. I ask you to ask her to be relevant in her answers. The PRESIDENT: Thank you, Leader of the Opposition. I have two points to make. First, I am very conscious that a certain amount of business needs to be transacted by the house by 5.00 pm. Therefore, question time will not be as long as it was yesterday. Second, I am reminded of what Hon Clive Griffiths used to say; members might not like what they hear, but they are here to listen. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you very much, Mr President. For the interest of members, I will explain what a lickspittle is. It is very important, because I do not want anybody to think that I have dreamt this up, because I have not. Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : Mr President, my previous point of order had nothing to do with the opposition having to wear what the minister was saying, but was about whether what the minister was saying was relevant to the question. As far as I know, a lickspittle has absolutely nothing to do with flagpoles. The PRESIDENT: The minister’s answer is relevant. I trust that she is drawing her answer to a close. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I beg to differ. Despite his protestations, the opposition spokesperson on education has supported Brendan Nelson’s unwarranted intrusion on this state’s rights. I show to members a chart that demonstrates the funding contributions of the commonwealth and the state, both in schools and training. Do members opposite mean to tell me that a commonwealth government that makes an investment of 8.4 per cent in an education system that takes $2.699 billion to run - Hon Norman Moore interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No. Do members opposite expect that I, as Minister for Education and Training, will allow the federal minister to call the shots on who will or will not attend a flag-raising ceremony? Quite frankly, he will not, for the price of a flagpole - $1 000 - control who will and will not walk into our school grounds. It is as simple as that! He will not do that while I am education minister.
The PRESIDENT : Please continue with the question. Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD : To continue, how does this relate to the conditions that apply to federal funding of the Western Australian school sector? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. The state government is providing alternative flagpole funding for schools because of the onerous conditions placed on Western Australian schools by the commonwealth government as part of its funding arrangements. I have already made it clear that the federal government is trampling over this state’s rights. It is my job to protect the educational interests of Western Australia and the Western Australian community, and that is exactly what I will do. I am proud to be a part of a long chain of education ministers who defend state rights. I note, in a bipartisan spirit, that former education ministers Hon Norman Moore and Hon Colin Barnett are also state rights men. That is commendable. I understand that the member for Darling Range is also a state rights person on matters of education and training. However, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. I must say that the weakest link is the opposition spokesperson on education, because he is undoubtedly a Canberra lickspittle. Point of Order Hon Barry House interjected. The PRESIDENT: Order! The Leader of the Opposition has the call on a point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time. It would be much appreciated by the opposition if the minister would answer the question instead of going off on a tangent, which she does every time she stands to answer a question. There is only a set amount of time for question time. If she wants to do this sort of thing all the time, it will destroy the whole notion of question time. I ask you to ask her to be relevant in her answers. The PRESIDENT: Thank you, Leader of the Opposition. I have two points to make. First, I am very conscious that a certain amount of business needs to be transacted by the house by 5.00 pm. Therefore, question time will not be as long as it was yesterday. Second, I am reminded of what Hon Clive Griffiths used to say; members might not like what they hear, but they are here to listen. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you very much, Mr President. For the interest of members, I will explain what a lickspittle is. It is very important, because I do not want anybody to think that I have dreamt this up, because I have not. Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : Mr President, my previous point of order had nothing to do with the opposition having to wear what the minister was saying, but was about whether what the minister was saying was relevant to the question. As far as I know, a lickspittle has absolutely nothing to do with flagpoles. The PRESIDENT: The minister’s answer is relevant. I trust that she is drawing her answer to a close. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I beg to differ. Despite his protestations, the opposition spokesperson on education has supported Brendan Nelson’s unwarranted intrusion on this state’s rights. I show to members a chart that demonstrates the funding contributions of the commonwealth and the state, both in schools and training. Do members opposite mean to tell me that a commonwealth government that makes an investment of 8.4 per cent in an education system that takes $2.699 billion to run - Hon Norman Moore interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No. Do members opposite expect that I, as Minister for Education and Training, will allow the federal minister to call the shots on who will or will not attend a flag-raising ceremony? Quite frankly, he will not, for the price of a flagpole - $1 000 - control who will and will not walk into our school grounds. It is as simple as that! He will not do that while I am education minister.
Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD : To continue, how does this relate to the conditions that apply to federal funding of the Western Australian school sector? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. The state government is providing alternative flagpole funding for schools because of the onerous conditions placed on Western Australian schools by the commonwealth government as part of its funding arrangements. I have already made it clear that the federal government is trampling over this state’s rights. It is my job to protect the educational interests of Western Australia and the Western Australian community, and that is exactly what I will do. I am proud to be a part of a long chain of education ministers who defend state rights. I note, in a bipartisan spirit, that former education ministers Hon Norman Moore and Hon Colin Barnett are also state rights men. That is commendable. I understand that the member for Darling Range is also a state rights person on matters of education and training. However, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. I must say that the weakest link is the opposition spokesperson on education, because he is undoubtedly a Canberra lickspittle. Point of Order Hon Barry House interjected. The PRESIDENT: Order! The Leader of the Opposition has the call on a point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time. It would be much appreciated by the opposition if the minister would answer the question instead of going off on a tangent, which she does every time she stands to answer a question. There is only a set amount of time for question time. If she wants to do this sort of thing all the time, it will destroy the whole notion of question time. I ask you to ask her to be relevant in her answers. The PRESIDENT: Thank you, Leader of the Opposition. I have two points to make. First, I am very conscious that a certain amount of business needs to be transacted by the house by 5.00 pm. Therefore, question time will not be as long as it was yesterday. Second, I am reminded of what Hon Clive Griffiths used to say; members might not like what they hear, but they are here to listen. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you very much, Mr President. For the interest of members, I will explain what a lickspittle is. It is very important, because I do not want anybody to think that I have dreamt this up, because I have not. Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : Mr President, my previous point of order had nothing to do with the opposition having to wear what the minister was saying, but was about whether what the minister was saying was relevant to the question. As far as I know, a lickspittle has absolutely nothing to do with flagpoles. The PRESIDENT: The minister’s answer is relevant. I trust that she is drawing her answer to a close. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I beg to differ. Despite his protestations, the opposition spokesperson on education has supported Brendan Nelson’s unwarranted intrusion on this state’s rights. I show to members a chart that demonstrates the funding contributions of the commonwealth and the state, both in schools and training. Do members opposite mean to tell me that a commonwealth government that makes an investment of 8.4 per cent in an education system that takes $2.699 billion to run - Hon Norman Moore interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No. Do members opposite expect that I, as Minister for Education and Training, will allow the federal minister to call the shots on who will or will not attend a flag-raising ceremony? Quite frankly, he will not, for the price of a flagpole - $1 000 - control who will and will not walk into our school grounds. It is as simple as that! He will not do that while I am education minister.
Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. The state government is providing alternative flagpole funding for schools because of the onerous conditions placed on Western Australian schools by the commonwealth government as part of its funding arrangements. I have already made it clear that the federal government is trampling over this state’s rights. It is my job to protect the educational interests of Western Australia and the Western Australian community, and that is exactly what I will do. I am proud to be a part of a long chain of education ministers who defend state rights. I note, in a bipartisan spirit, that former education ministers Hon Norman Moore and Hon Colin Barnett are also state rights men. That is commendable. I understand that the member for Darling Range is also a state rights person on matters of education and training. However, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. I must say that the weakest link is the opposition spokesperson on education, because he is undoubtedly a Canberra lickspittle. Point of Order Hon Barry House interjected. The PRESIDENT: Order! The Leader of the Opposition has the call on a point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time. It would be much appreciated by the opposition if the minister would answer the question instead of going off on a tangent, which she does every time she stands to answer a question. There is only a set amount of time for question time. If she wants to do this sort of thing all the time, it will destroy the whole notion of question time. I ask you to ask her to be relevant in her answers. The PRESIDENT: Thank you, Leader of the Opposition. I have two points to make. First, I am very conscious that a certain amount of business needs to be transacted by the house by 5.00 pm. Therefore, question time will not be as long as it was yesterday. Second, I am reminded of what Hon Clive Griffiths used to say; members might not like what they hear, but they are here to listen. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you very much, Mr President. For the interest of members, I will explain what a lickspittle is. It is very important, because I do not want anybody to think that I have dreamt this up, because I have not. Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : Mr President, my previous point of order had nothing to do with the opposition having to wear what the minister was saying, but was about whether what the minister was saying was relevant to the question. As far as I know, a lickspittle has absolutely nothing to do with flagpoles. The PRESIDENT: The minister’s answer is relevant. I trust that she is drawing her answer to a close. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I beg to differ. Despite his protestations, the opposition spokesperson on education has supported Brendan Nelson’s unwarranted intrusion on this state’s rights. I show to members a chart that demonstrates the funding contributions of the commonwealth and the state, both in schools and training. Do members opposite mean to tell me that a commonwealth government that makes an investment of 8.4 per cent in an education system that takes $2.699 billion to run - Hon Norman Moore interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No. Do members opposite expect that I, as Minister for Education and Training, will allow the federal minister to call the shots on who will or will not attend a flag-raising ceremony? Quite frankly, he will not, for the price of a flagpole - $1 000 - control who will and will not walk into our school grounds. It is as simple as that! He will not do that while I am education minister.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. The state government is providing alternative flagpole funding for schools because of the onerous conditions placed on Western Australian schools by the commonwealth government as part of its funding arrangements. I have already made it clear that the federal government is trampling over this state’s rights. It is my job to protect the educational interests of Western Australia and the Western Australian community, and that is exactly what I will do. I am proud to be a part of a long chain of education ministers who defend state rights. I note, in a bipartisan spirit, that former education ministers Hon Norman Moore and Hon Colin Barnett are also state rights men. That is commendable. I understand that the member for Darling Range is also a state rights person on matters of education and training. However, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. I must say that the weakest link is the opposition spokesperson on education, because he is undoubtedly a Canberra lickspittle. Point of Order Hon Barry House interjected. The PRESIDENT: Order! The Leader of the Opposition has the call on a point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time. It would be much appreciated by the opposition if the minister would answer the question instead of going off on a tangent, which she does every time she stands to answer a question. There is only a set amount of time for question time. If she wants to do this sort of thing all the time, it will destroy the whole notion of question time. I ask you to ask her to be relevant in her answers. The PRESIDENT: Thank you, Leader of the Opposition. I have two points to make. First, I am very conscious that a certain amount of business needs to be transacted by the house by 5.00 pm. Therefore, question time will not be as long as it was yesterday. Second, I am reminded of what Hon Clive Griffiths used to say; members might not like what they hear, but they are here to listen. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you very much, Mr President. For the interest of members, I will explain what a lickspittle is. It is very important, because I do not want anybody to think that I have dreamt this up, because I have not. Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : Mr President, my previous point of order had nothing to do with the opposition having to wear what the minister was saying, but was about whether what the minister was saying was relevant to the question. As far as I know, a lickspittle has absolutely nothing to do with flagpoles. The PRESIDENT: The minister’s answer is relevant. I trust that she is drawing her answer to a close. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I beg to differ. Despite his protestations, the opposition spokesperson on education has supported Brendan Nelson’s unwarranted intrusion on this state’s rights. I show to members a chart that demonstrates the funding contributions of the commonwealth and the state, both in schools and training. Do members opposite mean to tell me that a commonwealth government that makes an investment of 8.4 per cent in an education system that takes $2.699 billion to run - Hon Norman Moore interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No. Do members opposite expect that I, as Minister for Education and Training, will allow the federal minister to call the shots on who will or will not attend a flag-raising ceremony? Quite frankly, he will not, for the price of a flagpole - $1 000 - control who will and will not walk into our school grounds. It is as simple as that! He will not do that while I am education minister.
The state government is providing alternative flagpole funding for schools because of the onerous conditions placed on Western Australian schools by the commonwealth government as part of its funding arrangements. I have already made it clear that the federal government is trampling over this state’s rights. It is my job to protect the educational interests of Western Australia and the Western Australian community, and that is exactly what I will do. I am proud to be a part of a long chain of education ministers who defend state rights. I note, in a bipartisan spirit, that former education ministers Hon Norman Moore and Hon Colin Barnett are also state rights men. That is commendable. I understand that the member for Darling Range is also a state rights person on matters of education and training. However, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. I must say that the weakest link is the opposition spokesperson on education, because he is undoubtedly a Canberra lickspittle. Point of Order Hon Barry House interjected. The PRESIDENT: Order! The Leader of the Opposition has the call on a point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time. It would be much appreciated by the opposition if the minister would answer the question instead of going off on a tangent, which she does every time she stands to answer a question. There is only a set amount of time for question time. If she wants to do this sort of thing all the time, it will destroy the whole notion of question time. I ask you to ask her to be relevant in her answers. The PRESIDENT: Thank you, Leader of the Opposition. I have two points to make. First, I am very conscious that a certain amount of business needs to be transacted by the house by 5.00 pm. Therefore, question time will not be as long as it was yesterday. Second, I am reminded of what Hon Clive Griffiths used to say; members might not like what they hear, but they are here to listen. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you very much, Mr President. For the interest of members, I will explain what a lickspittle is. It is very important, because I do not want anybody to think that I have dreamt this up, because I have not. Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : Mr President, my previous point of order had nothing to do with the opposition having to wear what the minister was saying, but was about whether what the minister was saying was relevant to the question. As far as I know, a lickspittle has absolutely nothing to do with flagpoles. The PRESIDENT: The minister’s answer is relevant. I trust that she is drawing her answer to a close. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I beg to differ. Despite his protestations, the opposition spokesperson on education has supported Brendan Nelson’s unwarranted intrusion on this state’s rights. I show to members a chart that demonstrates the funding contributions of the commonwealth and the state, both in schools and training. Do members opposite mean to tell me that a commonwealth government that makes an investment of 8.4 per cent in an education system that takes $2.699 billion to run - Hon Norman Moore interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No. Do members opposite expect that I, as Minister for Education and Training, will allow the federal minister to call the shots on who will or will not attend a flag-raising ceremony? Quite frankly, he will not, for the price of a flagpole - $1 000 - control who will and will not walk into our school grounds. It is as simple as that! He will not do that while I am education minister.
I am proud to be a part of a long chain of education ministers who defend state rights. I note, in a bipartisan spirit, that former education ministers Hon Norman Moore and Hon Colin Barnett are also state rights men. That is commendable. I understand that the member for Darling Range is also a state rights person on matters of education and training. However, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. I must say that the weakest link is the opposition spokesperson on education, because he is undoubtedly a Canberra lickspittle. Point of Order Hon Barry House interjected. The PRESIDENT: Order! The Leader of the Opposition has the call on a point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time. It would be much appreciated by the opposition if the minister would answer the question instead of going off on a tangent, which she does every time she stands to answer a question. There is only a set amount of time for question time. If she wants to do this sort of thing all the time, it will destroy the whole notion of question time. I ask you to ask her to be relevant in her answers. The PRESIDENT: Thank you, Leader of the Opposition. I have two points to make. First, I am very conscious that a certain amount of business needs to be transacted by the house by 5.00 pm. Therefore, question time will not be as long as it was yesterday. Second, I am reminded of what Hon Clive Griffiths used to say; members might not like what they hear, but they are here to listen. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you very much, Mr President. For the interest of members, I will explain what a lickspittle is. It is very important, because I do not want anybody to think that I have dreamt this up, because I have not. Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : Mr President, my previous point of order had nothing to do with the opposition having to wear what the minister was saying, but was about whether what the minister was saying was relevant to the question. As far as I know, a lickspittle has absolutely nothing to do with flagpoles. The PRESIDENT: The minister’s answer is relevant. I trust that she is drawing her answer to a close. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I beg to differ. Despite his protestations, the opposition spokesperson on education has supported Brendan Nelson’s unwarranted intrusion on this state’s rights. I show to members a chart that demonstrates the funding contributions of the commonwealth and the state, both in schools and training. Do members opposite mean to tell me that a commonwealth government that makes an investment of 8.4 per cent in an education system that takes $2.699 billion to run - Hon Norman Moore interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No. Do members opposite expect that I, as Minister for Education and Training, will allow the federal minister to call the shots on who will or will not attend a flag-raising ceremony? Quite frankly, he will not, for the price of a flagpole - $1 000 - control who will and will not walk into our school grounds. It is as simple as that! He will not do that while I am education minister.
The PRESIDENT: Order! The Leader of the Opposition has the call on a point of order. Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time. It would be much appreciated by the opposition if the minister would answer the question instead of going off on a tangent, which she does every time she stands to answer a question. There is only a set amount of time for question time. If she wants to do this sort of thing all the time, it will destroy the whole notion of question time. I ask you to ask her to be relevant in her answers. The PRESIDENT: Thank you, Leader of the Opposition. I have two points to make. First, I am very conscious that a certain amount of business needs to be transacted by the house by 5.00 pm. Therefore, question time will not be as long as it was yesterday. Second, I am reminded of what Hon Clive Griffiths used to say; members might not like what they hear, but they are here to listen. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you very much, Mr President. For the interest of members, I will explain what a lickspittle is. It is very important, because I do not want anybody to think that I have dreamt this up, because I have not. Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : Mr President, my previous point of order had nothing to do with the opposition having to wear what the minister was saying, but was about whether what the minister was saying was relevant to the question. As far as I know, a lickspittle has absolutely nothing to do with flagpoles. The PRESIDENT: The minister’s answer is relevant. I trust that she is drawing her answer to a close. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I beg to differ. Despite his protestations, the opposition spokesperson on education has supported Brendan Nelson’s unwarranted intrusion on this state’s rights. I show to members a chart that demonstrates the funding contributions of the commonwealth and the state, both in schools and training. Do members opposite mean to tell me that a commonwealth government that makes an investment of 8.4 per cent in an education system that takes $2.699 billion to run - Hon Norman Moore interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No. Do members opposite expect that I, as Minister for Education and Training, will allow the federal minister to call the shots on who will or will not attend a flag-raising ceremony? Quite frankly, he will not, for the price of a flagpole - $1 000 - control who will and will not walk into our school grounds. It is as simple as that! He will not do that while I am education minister.
Hon NORMAN MOORE : This is question time. It would be much appreciated by the opposition if the minister would answer the question instead of going off on a tangent, which she does every time she stands to answer a question. There is only a set amount of time for question time. If she wants to do this sort of thing all the time, it will destroy the whole notion of question time. I ask you to ask her to be relevant in her answers. The PRESIDENT: Thank you, Leader of the Opposition. I have two points to make. First, I am very conscious that a certain amount of business needs to be transacted by the house by 5.00 pm. Therefore, question time will not be as long as it was yesterday. Second, I am reminded of what Hon Clive Griffiths used to say; members might not like what they hear, but they are here to listen. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you very much, Mr President. For the interest of members, I will explain what a lickspittle is. It is very important, because I do not want anybody to think that I have dreamt this up, because I have not. Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : Mr President, my previous point of order had nothing to do with the opposition having to wear what the minister was saying, but was about whether what the minister was saying was relevant to the question. As far as I know, a lickspittle has absolutely nothing to do with flagpoles. The PRESIDENT: The minister’s answer is relevant. I trust that she is drawing her answer to a close. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I beg to differ. Despite his protestations, the opposition spokesperson on education has supported Brendan Nelson’s unwarranted intrusion on this state’s rights. I show to members a chart that demonstrates the funding contributions of the commonwealth and the state, both in schools and training. Do members opposite mean to tell me that a commonwealth government that makes an investment of 8.4 per cent in an education system that takes $2.699 billion to run - Hon Norman Moore interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No. Do members opposite expect that I, as Minister for Education and Training, will allow the federal minister to call the shots on who will or will not attend a flag-raising ceremony? Quite frankly, he will not, for the price of a flagpole - $1 000 - control who will and will not walk into our school grounds. It is as simple as that! He will not do that while I am education minister.
The PRESIDENT: Thank you, Leader of the Opposition. I have two points to make. First, I am very conscious that a certain amount of business needs to be transacted by the house by 5.00 pm. Therefore, question time will not be as long as it was yesterday. Second, I am reminded of what Hon Clive Griffiths used to say; members might not like what they hear, but they are here to listen. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : Thank you very much, Mr President. For the interest of members, I will explain what a lickspittle is. It is very important, because I do not want anybody to think that I have dreamt this up, because I have not. Point of Order Hon NORMAN MOORE : Mr President, my previous point of order had nothing to do with the opposition having to wear what the minister was saying, but was about whether what the minister was saying was relevant to the question. As far as I know, a lickspittle has absolutely nothing to do with flagpoles. The PRESIDENT: The minister’s answer is relevant. I trust that she is drawing her answer to a close. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I beg to differ. Despite his protestations, the opposition spokesperson on education has supported Brendan Nelson’s unwarranted intrusion on this state’s rights. I show to members a chart that demonstrates the funding contributions of the commonwealth and the state, both in schools and training. Do members opposite mean to tell me that a commonwealth government that makes an investment of 8.4 per cent in an education system that takes $2.699 billion to run - Hon Norman Moore interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No. Do members opposite expect that I, as Minister for Education and Training, will allow the federal minister to call the shots on who will or will not attend a flag-raising ceremony? Quite frankly, he will not, for the price of a flagpole - $1 000 - control who will and will not walk into our school grounds. It is as simple as that! He will not do that while I am education minister.
The PRESIDENT: The minister’s answer is relevant. I trust that she is drawing her answer to a close. Questions without Notice Resumed Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I beg to differ. Despite his protestations, the opposition spokesperson on education has supported Brendan Nelson’s unwarranted intrusion on this state’s rights. I show to members a chart that demonstrates the funding contributions of the commonwealth and the state, both in schools and training. Do members opposite mean to tell me that a commonwealth government that makes an investment of 8.4 per cent in an education system that takes $2.699 billion to run - Hon Norman Moore interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No. Do members opposite expect that I, as Minister for Education and Training, will allow the federal minister to call the shots on who will or will not attend a flag-raising ceremony? Quite frankly, he will not, for the price of a flagpole - $1 000 - control who will and will not walk into our school grounds. It is as simple as that! He will not do that while I am education minister.
Hon Norman Moore interjected. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No. Do members opposite expect that I, as Minister for Education and Training, will allow the federal minister to call the shots on who will or will not attend a flag-raising ceremony? Quite frankly, he will not, for the price of a flagpole - $1 000 - control who will and will not walk into our school grounds. It is as simple as that! He will not do that while I am education minister.
Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : No. Do members opposite expect that I, as Minister for Education and Training, will allow the federal minister to call the shots on who will or will not attend a flag-raising ceremony? Quite frankly, he will not, for the price of a flagpole - $1 000 - control who will and will not walk into our school grounds. It is as simple as that! He will not do that while I am education minister.
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