Ms MacTiernan questions Premier Barnett about the potential decommissioning of Armadale Senior High School. Barnett denies using the term and states the council suggested a better site for a new school.

AnsweredQoN 106Legislative Assembly
Asked
17 March 2010
Portfolio
Premier

QuestionView source ↗

ARMADALE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Mr Speaker, I ask a supplementary question. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : I will give the member a supplementary question but I feel inclined to formally call the member for Pilbara for the first time and the member for Warnbro for the third time. Ms A.J.G. MacTIERNAN : Will the Premier confirm that he will not take any further steps to decommission this school until such time as he has acquainted himself with the facts relating to the school and he has an engagement with the local community? Mr C.J. BARNETT

AnswerView source ↗

Again, I repeat: I did not go to the school during my visit. The councillors raised the issue of the school with me. They wanted a better site and better quality school facilities and programs for the young people of Armadale. Then they went on and stressed the lack of training. The member for Armadale deliberately used the word “decommission”. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Because that’s the word you used. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I assure you, Mr Speaker, that I would never use a word like “decommission”. I simply listened to the views. I think the Minister for Education has been to well over 100 schools — Dr E. Constable : One hundred and eighty-five. Mr C.J. BARNETT : She will get to Armadale Senior High School and look at its programs. The government will look at that. The overriding message was that the quality of education and training needs to be improved in that growing corridor. There was no suggestion from me about decommissioning a school, words I do not use and words I did not use. I did not visit the school. The suggestion about a better site for a new school catering for a wider section of the community was put to me by the council. I am surprised it did not put that suggestion to the local member. Maybe it gave up on her, or maybe she was at a Peel Thunder function in Mandurah.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : I will give the member a supplementary question but I feel inclined to formally call the member for Pilbara for the first time and the member for Warnbro for the third time. Ms A.J.G. MacTIERNAN : Will the Premier confirm that he will not take any further steps to decommission this school until such time as he has acquainted himself with the facts relating to the school and he has an engagement with the local community? Mr C.J. BARNETT replied: Again, I repeat: I did not go to the school during my visit. The councillors raised the issue of the school with me. They wanted a better site and better quality school facilities and programs for the young people of Armadale. Then they went on and stressed the lack of training. The member for Armadale deliberately used the word “decommission”. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Because that’s the word you used. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I assure you, Mr Speaker, that I would never use a word like “decommission”. I simply listened to the views. I think the Minister for Education has been to well over 100 schools — Dr E. Constable : One hundred and eighty-five. Mr C.J. BARNETT : She will get to Armadale Senior High School and look at its programs. The government will look at that. The overriding message was that the quality of education and training needs to be improved in that growing corridor. There was no suggestion from me about decommissioning a school, words I do not use and words I did not use. I did not visit the school. The suggestion about a better site for a new school catering for a wider section of the community was put to me by the council. I am surprised it did not put that suggestion to the local member. Maybe it gave up on her, or maybe she was at a Peel Thunder function in Mandurah.
The SPEAKER : I will give the member a supplementary question but I feel inclined to formally call the member for Pilbara for the first time and the member for Warnbro for the third time. Ms A.J.G. MacTIERNAN : Will the Premier confirm that he will not take any further steps to decommission this school until such time as he has acquainted himself with the facts relating to the school and he has an engagement with the local community? Mr C.J. BARNETT replied: Again, I repeat: I did not go to the school during my visit. The councillors raised the issue of the school with me. They wanted a better site and better quality school facilities and programs for the young people of Armadale. Then they went on and stressed the lack of training. The member for Armadale deliberately used the word “decommission”. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Because that’s the word you used. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I assure you, Mr Speaker, that I would never use a word like “decommission”. I simply listened to the views. I think the Minister for Education has been to well over 100 schools — Dr E. Constable : One hundred and eighty-five. Mr C.J. BARNETT : She will get to Armadale Senior High School and look at its programs. The government will look at that. The overriding message was that the quality of education and training needs to be improved in that growing corridor. There was no suggestion from me about decommissioning a school, words I do not use and words I did not use. I did not visit the school. The suggestion about a better site for a new school catering for a wider section of the community was put to me by the council. I am surprised it did not put that suggestion to the local member. Maybe it gave up on her, or maybe she was at a Peel Thunder function in Mandurah.
Ms A.J.G. MacTIERNAN : Will the Premier confirm that he will not take any further steps to decommission this school until such time as he has acquainted himself with the facts relating to the school and he has an engagement with the local community? Mr C.J. BARNETT replied: Again, I repeat: I did not go to the school during my visit. The councillors raised the issue of the school with me. They wanted a better site and better quality school facilities and programs for the young people of Armadale. Then they went on and stressed the lack of training. The member for Armadale deliberately used the word “decommission”. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Because that’s the word you used. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I assure you, Mr Speaker, that I would never use a word like “decommission”. I simply listened to the views. I think the Minister for Education has been to well over 100 schools — Dr E. Constable : One hundred and eighty-five. Mr C.J. BARNETT : She will get to Armadale Senior High School and look at its programs. The government will look at that. The overriding message was that the quality of education and training needs to be improved in that growing corridor. There was no suggestion from me about decommissioning a school, words I do not use and words I did not use. I did not visit the school. The suggestion about a better site for a new school catering for a wider section of the community was put to me by the council. I am surprised it did not put that suggestion to the local member. Maybe it gave up on her, or maybe she was at a Peel Thunder function in Mandurah.
Will the Premier confirm that he will not take any further steps to decommission this school until such time as he has acquainted himself with the facts relating to the school and he has an engagement with the local community? Mr C.J. BARNETT replied: Again, I repeat: I did not go to the school during my visit. The councillors raised the issue of the school with me. They wanted a better site and better quality school facilities and programs for the young people of Armadale. Then they went on and stressed the lack of training. The member for Armadale deliberately used the word “decommission”. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Because that’s the word you used. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I assure you, Mr Speaker, that I would never use a word like “decommission”. I simply listened to the views. I think the Minister for Education has been to well over 100 schools — Dr E. Constable : One hundred and eighty-five. Mr C.J. BARNETT : She will get to Armadale Senior High School and look at its programs. The government will look at that. The overriding message was that the quality of education and training needs to be improved in that growing corridor. There was no suggestion from me about decommissioning a school, words I do not use and words I did not use. I did not visit the school. The suggestion about a better site for a new school catering for a wider section of the community was put to me by the council. I am surprised it did not put that suggestion to the local member. Maybe it gave up on her, or maybe she was at a Peel Thunder function in Mandurah.
Mr C.J. BARNETT replied: Again, I repeat: I did not go to the school during my visit. The councillors raised the issue of the school with me. They wanted a better site and better quality school facilities and programs for the young people of Armadale. Then they went on and stressed the lack of training. The member for Armadale deliberately used the word “decommission”. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Because that’s the word you used. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I assure you, Mr Speaker, that I would never use a word like “decommission”. I simply listened to the views. I think the Minister for Education has been to well over 100 schools — Dr E. Constable : One hundred and eighty-five. Mr C.J. BARNETT : She will get to Armadale Senior High School and look at its programs. The government will look at that. The overriding message was that the quality of education and training needs to be improved in that growing corridor. There was no suggestion from me about decommissioning a school, words I do not use and words I did not use. I did not visit the school. The suggestion about a better site for a new school catering for a wider section of the community was put to me by the council. I am surprised it did not put that suggestion to the local member. Maybe it gave up on her, or maybe she was at a Peel Thunder function in Mandurah.
Again, I repeat: I did not go to the school during my visit. The councillors raised the issue of the school with me. They wanted a better site and better quality school facilities and programs for the young people of Armadale. Then they went on and stressed the lack of training. The member for Armadale deliberately used the word “decommission”. Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Because that’s the word you used. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I assure you, Mr Speaker, that I would never use a word like “decommission”. I simply listened to the views. I think the Minister for Education has been to well over 100 schools — Dr E. Constable : One hundred and eighty-five. Mr C.J. BARNETT : She will get to Armadale Senior High School and look at its programs. The government will look at that. The overriding message was that the quality of education and training needs to be improved in that growing corridor. There was no suggestion from me about decommissioning a school, words I do not use and words I did not use. I did not visit the school. The suggestion about a better site for a new school catering for a wider section of the community was put to me by the council. I am surprised it did not put that suggestion to the local member. Maybe it gave up on her, or maybe she was at a Peel Thunder function in Mandurah.
Ms A.J.G. MacTiernan : Because that’s the word you used. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I assure you, Mr Speaker, that I would never use a word like “decommission”. I simply listened to the views. I think the Minister for Education has been to well over 100 schools — Dr E. Constable : One hundred and eighty-five. Mr C.J. BARNETT : She will get to Armadale Senior High School and look at its programs. The government will look at that. The overriding message was that the quality of education and training needs to be improved in that growing corridor. There was no suggestion from me about decommissioning a school, words I do not use and words I did not use. I did not visit the school. The suggestion about a better site for a new school catering for a wider section of the community was put to me by the council. I am surprised it did not put that suggestion to the local member. Maybe it gave up on her, or maybe she was at a Peel Thunder function in Mandurah.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : I assure you, Mr Speaker, that I would never use a word like “decommission”. I simply listened to the views. I think the Minister for Education has been to well over 100 schools — Dr E. Constable : One hundred and eighty-five. Mr C.J. BARNETT : She will get to Armadale Senior High School and look at its programs. The government will look at that. The overriding message was that the quality of education and training needs to be improved in that growing corridor. There was no suggestion from me about decommissioning a school, words I do not use and words I did not use. I did not visit the school. The suggestion about a better site for a new school catering for a wider section of the community was put to me by the council. I am surprised it did not put that suggestion to the local member. Maybe it gave up on her, or maybe she was at a Peel Thunder function in Mandurah.
Dr E. Constable : One hundred and eighty-five. Mr C.J. BARNETT : She will get to Armadale Senior High School and look at its programs. The government will look at that. The overriding message was that the quality of education and training needs to be improved in that growing corridor. There was no suggestion from me about decommissioning a school, words I do not use and words I did not use. I did not visit the school. The suggestion about a better site for a new school catering for a wider section of the community was put to me by the council. I am surprised it did not put that suggestion to the local member. Maybe it gave up on her, or maybe she was at a Peel Thunder function in Mandurah.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : She will get to Armadale Senior High School and look at its programs. The government will look at that. The overriding message was that the quality of education and training needs to be improved in that growing corridor. There was no suggestion from me about decommissioning a school, words I do not use and words I did not use. I did not visit the school. The suggestion about a better site for a new school catering for a wider section of the community was put to me by the council. I am surprised it did not put that suggestion to the local member. Maybe it gave up on her, or maybe she was at a Peel Thunder function in Mandurah.

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