❓ A parliamentary question regarding the Balga Works program, specifically focusing on the Premier's involvement, approval, and the tendering process. The Premier denies approving the program and suggests it was federally funded and is under CCC inquiry.
AnsweredQoN 902Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
BALGA WORKS PROGRAM
I refer to the Balga Works program through which a private company received $2 million of taxpayers’ money, and subsequently failed to pay all its employees their full entitlements. (1) Has the Premier at any stage met with Mr Michael Carton and/or Mr Merv Hammond in relation to the Balga Works program? (2) If yes, approximately when did the meetings take place, and what was discussed? (3) Will the Premier confirm that he approved the establishment of the Balga Works program when he was Minister for Education and Training? (4) Can the Premier explain why funding of approximately $2 million for the Balga Works program did not go out to public tender? Mr A.J. CARPENTER
I refer to the Balga Works program through which a private company received $2 million of taxpayers’ money, and subsequently failed to pay all its employees their full entitlements. (1) Has the Premier at any stage met with Mr Michael Carton and/or Mr Merv Hammond in relation to the Balga Works program? (2) If yes, approximately when did the meetings take place, and what was discussed? (3) Will the Premier confirm that he approved the establishment of the Balga Works program when he was Minister for Education and Training? (4) Can the Premier explain why funding of approximately $2 million for the Balga Works program did not go out to public tender? Mr A.J. CARPENTER
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question. I was anticipating a question along the same lines from the member for Murdoch, and I apologise for not paying attention at the start. (1)-(4) I do not believe there was such a thing as the Balga Works program when I met Mr Carton in 2004, when I was the Minister for Education and Training. I think it was in August 2004; my diaries have been checked but I am not too sure of the day. I believe that the possibility of this sort of program had been raised with me shortly before that meeting when I attended Balga Senior High School to observe one of its entrepreneurial programs to engage students in education. The then principal, Mr Merv Hammond, had drawn national, and I think some international, acclaim for the variety of programs that he had put in place at Balga Senior High School to try to engage in education disengaged students. My memory tells me that as a result of discussions with me, or comments made to me at that meeting, an appointment was made for me to speak to Mr Carton, Mr Hammond, Mr Hodge I believe, and another gentleman whose name escapes me, who attended a meeting in my then ministerial office. I spent probably 45 minutes - I cannot remember how long it would have been - listening to their proposition. Although I thought that the ultimate outcomes were laudable - that is, more kids would be engaged in education - I actually did not think that the program stacked up at all. The amount of money that was being talked about for state support for such a program was exorbitant. It was in the tens of thousands of dollars per student. My view was that if we were to pay that sort of money, we might as well just pay the students and employ them directly, because the objective was to get students into some form of employment. I have asked for the correspondence files to be looked at to see whether there is any follow-up correspondence, and I believe that there was none from my office. My recollection is that I did not support the program at all. That was, I think, the last I heard of it until very recently. I was asked a question or two about this outside today, and I am able to give a little more detail of where the issue is now. Mr J.H.D. Day : Who approved it? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I think it had federal government funding. My understanding is that it was approved at the local level, and that this is now the subject of a CCC inquiry.
(1) Has the Premier at any stage met with Mr Michael Carton and/or Mr Merv Hammond in relation to the Balga Works program? (2) If yes, approximately when did the meetings take place, and what was discussed? (3) Will the Premier confirm that he approved the establishment of the Balga Works program when he was Minister for Education and Training? (4) Can the Premier explain why funding of approximately $2 million for the Balga Works program did not go out to public tender? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for the question. I was anticipating a question along the same lines from the member for Murdoch, and I apologise for not paying attention at the start. (1)-(4) I do not believe there was such a thing as the Balga Works program when I met Mr Carton in 2004, when I was the Minister for Education and Training. I think it was in August 2004; my diaries have been checked but I am not too sure of the day. I believe that the possibility of this sort of program had been raised with me shortly before that meeting when I attended Balga Senior High School to observe one of its entrepreneurial programs to engage students in education. The then principal, Mr Merv Hammond, had drawn national, and I think some international, acclaim for the variety of programs that he had put in place at Balga Senior High School to try to engage in education disengaged students. My memory tells me that as a result of discussions with me, or comments made to me at that meeting, an appointment was made for me to speak to Mr Carton, Mr Hammond, Mr Hodge I believe, and another gentleman whose name escapes me, who attended a meeting in my then ministerial office. I spent probably 45 minutes - I cannot remember how long it would have been - listening to their proposition. Although I thought that the ultimate outcomes were laudable - that is, more kids would be engaged in education - I actually did not think that the program stacked up at all. The amount of money that was being talked about for state support for such a program was exorbitant. It was in the tens of thousands of dollars per student. My view was that if we were to pay that sort of money, we might as well just pay the students and employ them directly, because the objective was to get students into some form of employment. I have asked for the correspondence files to be looked at to see whether there is any follow-up correspondence, and I believe that there was none from my office. My recollection is that I did not support the program at all. That was, I think, the last I heard of it until very recently. I was asked a question or two about this outside today, and I am able to give a little more detail of where the issue is now. Mr J.H.D. Day : Who approved it? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I think it had federal government funding. My understanding is that it was approved at the local level, and that this is now the subject of a CCC inquiry.
(2) If yes, approximately when did the meetings take place, and what was discussed? (3) Will the Premier confirm that he approved the establishment of the Balga Works program when he was Minister for Education and Training? (4) Can the Premier explain why funding of approximately $2 million for the Balga Works program did not go out to public tender? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for the question. I was anticipating a question along the same lines from the member for Murdoch, and I apologise for not paying attention at the start. (1)-(4) I do not believe there was such a thing as the Balga Works program when I met Mr Carton in 2004, when I was the Minister for Education and Training. I think it was in August 2004; my diaries have been checked but I am not too sure of the day. I believe that the possibility of this sort of program had been raised with me shortly before that meeting when I attended Balga Senior High School to observe one of its entrepreneurial programs to engage students in education. The then principal, Mr Merv Hammond, had drawn national, and I think some international, acclaim for the variety of programs that he had put in place at Balga Senior High School to try to engage in education disengaged students. My memory tells me that as a result of discussions with me, or comments made to me at that meeting, an appointment was made for me to speak to Mr Carton, Mr Hammond, Mr Hodge I believe, and another gentleman whose name escapes me, who attended a meeting in my then ministerial office. I spent probably 45 minutes - I cannot remember how long it would have been - listening to their proposition. Although I thought that the ultimate outcomes were laudable - that is, more kids would be engaged in education - I actually did not think that the program stacked up at all. The amount of money that was being talked about for state support for such a program was exorbitant. It was in the tens of thousands of dollars per student. My view was that if we were to pay that sort of money, we might as well just pay the students and employ them directly, because the objective was to get students into some form of employment. I have asked for the correspondence files to be looked at to see whether there is any follow-up correspondence, and I believe that there was none from my office. My recollection is that I did not support the program at all. That was, I think, the last I heard of it until very recently. I was asked a question or two about this outside today, and I am able to give a little more detail of where the issue is now. Mr J.H.D. Day : Who approved it? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I think it had federal government funding. My understanding is that it was approved at the local level, and that this is now the subject of a CCC inquiry.
(3) Will the Premier confirm that he approved the establishment of the Balga Works program when he was Minister for Education and Training? (4) Can the Premier explain why funding of approximately $2 million for the Balga Works program did not go out to public tender? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for the question. I was anticipating a question along the same lines from the member for Murdoch, and I apologise for not paying attention at the start. (1)-(4) I do not believe there was such a thing as the Balga Works program when I met Mr Carton in 2004, when I was the Minister for Education and Training. I think it was in August 2004; my diaries have been checked but I am not too sure of the day. I believe that the possibility of this sort of program had been raised with me shortly before that meeting when I attended Balga Senior High School to observe one of its entrepreneurial programs to engage students in education. The then principal, Mr Merv Hammond, had drawn national, and I think some international, acclaim for the variety of programs that he had put in place at Balga Senior High School to try to engage in education disengaged students. My memory tells me that as a result of discussions with me, or comments made to me at that meeting, an appointment was made for me to speak to Mr Carton, Mr Hammond, Mr Hodge I believe, and another gentleman whose name escapes me, who attended a meeting in my then ministerial office. I spent probably 45 minutes - I cannot remember how long it would have been - listening to their proposition. Although I thought that the ultimate outcomes were laudable - that is, more kids would be engaged in education - I actually did not think that the program stacked up at all. The amount of money that was being talked about for state support for such a program was exorbitant. It was in the tens of thousands of dollars per student. My view was that if we were to pay that sort of money, we might as well just pay the students and employ them directly, because the objective was to get students into some form of employment. I have asked for the correspondence files to be looked at to see whether there is any follow-up correspondence, and I believe that there was none from my office. My recollection is that I did not support the program at all. That was, I think, the last I heard of it until very recently. I was asked a question or two about this outside today, and I am able to give a little more detail of where the issue is now. Mr J.H.D. Day : Who approved it? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I think it had federal government funding. My understanding is that it was approved at the local level, and that this is now the subject of a CCC inquiry.
(4) Can the Premier explain why funding of approximately $2 million for the Balga Works program did not go out to public tender? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for the question. I was anticipating a question along the same lines from the member for Murdoch, and I apologise for not paying attention at the start. (1)-(4) I do not believe there was such a thing as the Balga Works program when I met Mr Carton in 2004, when I was the Minister for Education and Training. I think it was in August 2004; my diaries have been checked but I am not too sure of the day. I believe that the possibility of this sort of program had been raised with me shortly before that meeting when I attended Balga Senior High School to observe one of its entrepreneurial programs to engage students in education. The then principal, Mr Merv Hammond, had drawn national, and I think some international, acclaim for the variety of programs that he had put in place at Balga Senior High School to try to engage in education disengaged students. My memory tells me that as a result of discussions with me, or comments made to me at that meeting, an appointment was made for me to speak to Mr Carton, Mr Hammond, Mr Hodge I believe, and another gentleman whose name escapes me, who attended a meeting in my then ministerial office. I spent probably 45 minutes - I cannot remember how long it would have been - listening to their proposition. Although I thought that the ultimate outcomes were laudable - that is, more kids would be engaged in education - I actually did not think that the program stacked up at all. The amount of money that was being talked about for state support for such a program was exorbitant. It was in the tens of thousands of dollars per student. My view was that if we were to pay that sort of money, we might as well just pay the students and employ them directly, because the objective was to get students into some form of employment. I have asked for the correspondence files to be looked at to see whether there is any follow-up correspondence, and I believe that there was none from my office. My recollection is that I did not support the program at all. That was, I think, the last I heard of it until very recently. I was asked a question or two about this outside today, and I am able to give a little more detail of where the issue is now. Mr J.H.D. Day : Who approved it? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I think it had federal government funding. My understanding is that it was approved at the local level, and that this is now the subject of a CCC inquiry.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for the question. I was anticipating a question along the same lines from the member for Murdoch, and I apologise for not paying attention at the start. (1)-(4) I do not believe there was such a thing as the Balga Works program when I met Mr Carton in 2004, when I was the Minister for Education and Training. I think it was in August 2004; my diaries have been checked but I am not too sure of the day. I believe that the possibility of this sort of program had been raised with me shortly before that meeting when I attended Balga Senior High School to observe one of its entrepreneurial programs to engage students in education. The then principal, Mr Merv Hammond, had drawn national, and I think some international, acclaim for the variety of programs that he had put in place at Balga Senior High School to try to engage in education disengaged students. My memory tells me that as a result of discussions with me, or comments made to me at that meeting, an appointment was made for me to speak to Mr Carton, Mr Hammond, Mr Hodge I believe, and another gentleman whose name escapes me, who attended a meeting in my then ministerial office. I spent probably 45 minutes - I cannot remember how long it would have been - listening to their proposition. Although I thought that the ultimate outcomes were laudable - that is, more kids would be engaged in education - I actually did not think that the program stacked up at all. The amount of money that was being talked about for state support for such a program was exorbitant. It was in the tens of thousands of dollars per student. My view was that if we were to pay that sort of money, we might as well just pay the students and employ them directly, because the objective was to get students into some form of employment. I have asked for the correspondence files to be looked at to see whether there is any follow-up correspondence, and I believe that there was none from my office. My recollection is that I did not support the program at all. That was, I think, the last I heard of it until very recently. I was asked a question or two about this outside today, and I am able to give a little more detail of where the issue is now. Mr J.H.D. Day : Who approved it? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I think it had federal government funding. My understanding is that it was approved at the local level, and that this is now the subject of a CCC inquiry.
I thank the member for the question. I was anticipating a question along the same lines from the member for Murdoch, and I apologise for not paying attention at the start. (1)-(4) I do not believe there was such a thing as the Balga Works program when I met Mr Carton in 2004, when I was the Minister for Education and Training. I think it was in August 2004; my diaries have been checked but I am not too sure of the day. I believe that the possibility of this sort of program had been raised with me shortly before that meeting when I attended Balga Senior High School to observe one of its entrepreneurial programs to engage students in education. The then principal, Mr Merv Hammond, had drawn national, and I think some international, acclaim for the variety of programs that he had put in place at Balga Senior High School to try to engage in education disengaged students. My memory tells me that as a result of discussions with me, or comments made to me at that meeting, an appointment was made for me to speak to Mr Carton, Mr Hammond, Mr Hodge I believe, and another gentleman whose name escapes me, who attended a meeting in my then ministerial office. I spent probably 45 minutes - I cannot remember how long it would have been - listening to their proposition. Although I thought that the ultimate outcomes were laudable - that is, more kids would be engaged in education - I actually did not think that the program stacked up at all. The amount of money that was being talked about for state support for such a program was exorbitant. It was in the tens of thousands of dollars per student. My view was that if we were to pay that sort of money, we might as well just pay the students and employ them directly, because the objective was to get students into some form of employment. I have asked for the correspondence files to be looked at to see whether there is any follow-up correspondence, and I believe that there was none from my office. My recollection is that I did not support the program at all. That was, I think, the last I heard of it until very recently. I was asked a question or two about this outside today, and I am able to give a little more detail of where the issue is now. Mr J.H.D. Day : Who approved it? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I think it had federal government funding. My understanding is that it was approved at the local level, and that this is now the subject of a CCC inquiry.
(1)-(4) I do not believe there was such a thing as the Balga Works program when I met Mr Carton in 2004, when I was the Minister for Education and Training. I think it was in August 2004; my diaries have been checked but I am not too sure of the day. I believe that the possibility of this sort of program had been raised with me shortly before that meeting when I attended Balga Senior High School to observe one of its entrepreneurial programs to engage students in education. The then principal, Mr Merv Hammond, had drawn national, and I think some international, acclaim for the variety of programs that he had put in place at Balga Senior High School to try to engage in education disengaged students. My memory tells me that as a result of discussions with me, or comments made to me at that meeting, an appointment was made for me to speak to Mr Carton, Mr Hammond, Mr Hodge I believe, and another gentleman whose name escapes me, who attended a meeting in my then ministerial office. I spent probably 45 minutes - I cannot remember how long it would have been - listening to their proposition. Although I thought that the ultimate outcomes were laudable - that is, more kids would be engaged in education - I actually did not think that the program stacked up at all. The amount of money that was being talked about for state support for such a program was exorbitant. It was in the tens of thousands of dollars per student. My view was that if we were to pay that sort of money, we might as well just pay the students and employ them directly, because the objective was to get students into some form of employment. I have asked for the correspondence files to be looked at to see whether there is any follow-up correspondence, and I believe that there was none from my office. My recollection is that I did not support the program at all. That was, I think, the last I heard of it until very recently. I was asked a question or two about this outside today, and I am able to give a little more detail of where the issue is now. Mr J.H.D. Day : Who approved it? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I think it had federal government funding. My understanding is that it was approved at the local level, and that this is now the subject of a CCC inquiry.
Mr J.H.D. Day : Who approved it? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I think it had federal government funding. My understanding is that it was approved at the local level, and that this is now the subject of a CCC inquiry.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I think it had federal government funding. My understanding is that it was approved at the local level, and that this is now the subject of a CCC inquiry.
(1) Has the Premier at any stage met with Mr Michael Carton and/or Mr Merv Hammond in relation to the Balga Works program? (2) If yes, approximately when did the meetings take place, and what was discussed? (3) Will the Premier confirm that he approved the establishment of the Balga Works program when he was Minister for Education and Training? (4) Can the Premier explain why funding of approximately $2 million for the Balga Works program did not go out to public tender? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for the question. I was anticipating a question along the same lines from the member for Murdoch, and I apologise for not paying attention at the start. (1)-(4) I do not believe there was such a thing as the Balga Works program when I met Mr Carton in 2004, when I was the Minister for Education and Training. I think it was in August 2004; my diaries have been checked but I am not too sure of the day. I believe that the possibility of this sort of program had been raised with me shortly before that meeting when I attended Balga Senior High School to observe one of its entrepreneurial programs to engage students in education. The then principal, Mr Merv Hammond, had drawn national, and I think some international, acclaim for the variety of programs that he had put in place at Balga Senior High School to try to engage in education disengaged students. My memory tells me that as a result of discussions with me, or comments made to me at that meeting, an appointment was made for me to speak to Mr Carton, Mr Hammond, Mr Hodge I believe, and another gentleman whose name escapes me, who attended a meeting in my then ministerial office. I spent probably 45 minutes - I cannot remember how long it would have been - listening to their proposition. Although I thought that the ultimate outcomes were laudable - that is, more kids would be engaged in education - I actually did not think that the program stacked up at all. The amount of money that was being talked about for state support for such a program was exorbitant. It was in the tens of thousands of dollars per student. My view was that if we were to pay that sort of money, we might as well just pay the students and employ them directly, because the objective was to get students into some form of employment. I have asked for the correspondence files to be looked at to see whether there is any follow-up correspondence, and I believe that there was none from my office. My recollection is that I did not support the program at all. That was, I think, the last I heard of it until very recently. I was asked a question or two about this outside today, and I am able to give a little more detail of where the issue is now. Mr J.H.D. Day : Who approved it? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I think it had federal government funding. My understanding is that it was approved at the local level, and that this is now the subject of a CCC inquiry.
(2) If yes, approximately when did the meetings take place, and what was discussed? (3) Will the Premier confirm that he approved the establishment of the Balga Works program when he was Minister for Education and Training? (4) Can the Premier explain why funding of approximately $2 million for the Balga Works program did not go out to public tender? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for the question. I was anticipating a question along the same lines from the member for Murdoch, and I apologise for not paying attention at the start. (1)-(4) I do not believe there was such a thing as the Balga Works program when I met Mr Carton in 2004, when I was the Minister for Education and Training. I think it was in August 2004; my diaries have been checked but I am not too sure of the day. I believe that the possibility of this sort of program had been raised with me shortly before that meeting when I attended Balga Senior High School to observe one of its entrepreneurial programs to engage students in education. The then principal, Mr Merv Hammond, had drawn national, and I think some international, acclaim for the variety of programs that he had put in place at Balga Senior High School to try to engage in education disengaged students. My memory tells me that as a result of discussions with me, or comments made to me at that meeting, an appointment was made for me to speak to Mr Carton, Mr Hammond, Mr Hodge I believe, and another gentleman whose name escapes me, who attended a meeting in my then ministerial office. I spent probably 45 minutes - I cannot remember how long it would have been - listening to their proposition. Although I thought that the ultimate outcomes were laudable - that is, more kids would be engaged in education - I actually did not think that the program stacked up at all. The amount of money that was being talked about for state support for such a program was exorbitant. It was in the tens of thousands of dollars per student. My view was that if we were to pay that sort of money, we might as well just pay the students and employ them directly, because the objective was to get students into some form of employment. I have asked for the correspondence files to be looked at to see whether there is any follow-up correspondence, and I believe that there was none from my office. My recollection is that I did not support the program at all. That was, I think, the last I heard of it until very recently. I was asked a question or two about this outside today, and I am able to give a little more detail of where the issue is now. Mr J.H.D. Day : Who approved it? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I think it had federal government funding. My understanding is that it was approved at the local level, and that this is now the subject of a CCC inquiry.
(3) Will the Premier confirm that he approved the establishment of the Balga Works program when he was Minister for Education and Training? (4) Can the Premier explain why funding of approximately $2 million for the Balga Works program did not go out to public tender? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for the question. I was anticipating a question along the same lines from the member for Murdoch, and I apologise for not paying attention at the start. (1)-(4) I do not believe there was such a thing as the Balga Works program when I met Mr Carton in 2004, when I was the Minister for Education and Training. I think it was in August 2004; my diaries have been checked but I am not too sure of the day. I believe that the possibility of this sort of program had been raised with me shortly before that meeting when I attended Balga Senior High School to observe one of its entrepreneurial programs to engage students in education. The then principal, Mr Merv Hammond, had drawn national, and I think some international, acclaim for the variety of programs that he had put in place at Balga Senior High School to try to engage in education disengaged students. My memory tells me that as a result of discussions with me, or comments made to me at that meeting, an appointment was made for me to speak to Mr Carton, Mr Hammond, Mr Hodge I believe, and another gentleman whose name escapes me, who attended a meeting in my then ministerial office. I spent probably 45 minutes - I cannot remember how long it would have been - listening to their proposition. Although I thought that the ultimate outcomes were laudable - that is, more kids would be engaged in education - I actually did not think that the program stacked up at all. The amount of money that was being talked about for state support for such a program was exorbitant. It was in the tens of thousands of dollars per student. My view was that if we were to pay that sort of money, we might as well just pay the students and employ them directly, because the objective was to get students into some form of employment. I have asked for the correspondence files to be looked at to see whether there is any follow-up correspondence, and I believe that there was none from my office. My recollection is that I did not support the program at all. That was, I think, the last I heard of it until very recently. I was asked a question or two about this outside today, and I am able to give a little more detail of where the issue is now. Mr J.H.D. Day : Who approved it? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I think it had federal government funding. My understanding is that it was approved at the local level, and that this is now the subject of a CCC inquiry.
(4) Can the Premier explain why funding of approximately $2 million for the Balga Works program did not go out to public tender? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for the question. I was anticipating a question along the same lines from the member for Murdoch, and I apologise for not paying attention at the start. (1)-(4) I do not believe there was such a thing as the Balga Works program when I met Mr Carton in 2004, when I was the Minister for Education and Training. I think it was in August 2004; my diaries have been checked but I am not too sure of the day. I believe that the possibility of this sort of program had been raised with me shortly before that meeting when I attended Balga Senior High School to observe one of its entrepreneurial programs to engage students in education. The then principal, Mr Merv Hammond, had drawn national, and I think some international, acclaim for the variety of programs that he had put in place at Balga Senior High School to try to engage in education disengaged students. My memory tells me that as a result of discussions with me, or comments made to me at that meeting, an appointment was made for me to speak to Mr Carton, Mr Hammond, Mr Hodge I believe, and another gentleman whose name escapes me, who attended a meeting in my then ministerial office. I spent probably 45 minutes - I cannot remember how long it would have been - listening to their proposition. Although I thought that the ultimate outcomes were laudable - that is, more kids would be engaged in education - I actually did not think that the program stacked up at all. The amount of money that was being talked about for state support for such a program was exorbitant. It was in the tens of thousands of dollars per student. My view was that if we were to pay that sort of money, we might as well just pay the students and employ them directly, because the objective was to get students into some form of employment. I have asked for the correspondence files to be looked at to see whether there is any follow-up correspondence, and I believe that there was none from my office. My recollection is that I did not support the program at all. That was, I think, the last I heard of it until very recently. I was asked a question or two about this outside today, and I am able to give a little more detail of where the issue is now. Mr J.H.D. Day : Who approved it? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I think it had federal government funding. My understanding is that it was approved at the local level, and that this is now the subject of a CCC inquiry.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for the question. I was anticipating a question along the same lines from the member for Murdoch, and I apologise for not paying attention at the start. (1)-(4) I do not believe there was such a thing as the Balga Works program when I met Mr Carton in 2004, when I was the Minister for Education and Training. I think it was in August 2004; my diaries have been checked but I am not too sure of the day. I believe that the possibility of this sort of program had been raised with me shortly before that meeting when I attended Balga Senior High School to observe one of its entrepreneurial programs to engage students in education. The then principal, Mr Merv Hammond, had drawn national, and I think some international, acclaim for the variety of programs that he had put in place at Balga Senior High School to try to engage in education disengaged students. My memory tells me that as a result of discussions with me, or comments made to me at that meeting, an appointment was made for me to speak to Mr Carton, Mr Hammond, Mr Hodge I believe, and another gentleman whose name escapes me, who attended a meeting in my then ministerial office. I spent probably 45 minutes - I cannot remember how long it would have been - listening to their proposition. Although I thought that the ultimate outcomes were laudable - that is, more kids would be engaged in education - I actually did not think that the program stacked up at all. The amount of money that was being talked about for state support for such a program was exorbitant. It was in the tens of thousands of dollars per student. My view was that if we were to pay that sort of money, we might as well just pay the students and employ them directly, because the objective was to get students into some form of employment. I have asked for the correspondence files to be looked at to see whether there is any follow-up correspondence, and I believe that there was none from my office. My recollection is that I did not support the program at all. That was, I think, the last I heard of it until very recently. I was asked a question or two about this outside today, and I am able to give a little more detail of where the issue is now. Mr J.H.D. Day : Who approved it? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I think it had federal government funding. My understanding is that it was approved at the local level, and that this is now the subject of a CCC inquiry.
I thank the member for the question. I was anticipating a question along the same lines from the member for Murdoch, and I apologise for not paying attention at the start. (1)-(4) I do not believe there was such a thing as the Balga Works program when I met Mr Carton in 2004, when I was the Minister for Education and Training. I think it was in August 2004; my diaries have been checked but I am not too sure of the day. I believe that the possibility of this sort of program had been raised with me shortly before that meeting when I attended Balga Senior High School to observe one of its entrepreneurial programs to engage students in education. The then principal, Mr Merv Hammond, had drawn national, and I think some international, acclaim for the variety of programs that he had put in place at Balga Senior High School to try to engage in education disengaged students. My memory tells me that as a result of discussions with me, or comments made to me at that meeting, an appointment was made for me to speak to Mr Carton, Mr Hammond, Mr Hodge I believe, and another gentleman whose name escapes me, who attended a meeting in my then ministerial office. I spent probably 45 minutes - I cannot remember how long it would have been - listening to their proposition. Although I thought that the ultimate outcomes were laudable - that is, more kids would be engaged in education - I actually did not think that the program stacked up at all. The amount of money that was being talked about for state support for such a program was exorbitant. It was in the tens of thousands of dollars per student. My view was that if we were to pay that sort of money, we might as well just pay the students and employ them directly, because the objective was to get students into some form of employment. I have asked for the correspondence files to be looked at to see whether there is any follow-up correspondence, and I believe that there was none from my office. My recollection is that I did not support the program at all. That was, I think, the last I heard of it until very recently. I was asked a question or two about this outside today, and I am able to give a little more detail of where the issue is now. Mr J.H.D. Day : Who approved it? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I think it had federal government funding. My understanding is that it was approved at the local level, and that this is now the subject of a CCC inquiry.
(1)-(4) I do not believe there was such a thing as the Balga Works program when I met Mr Carton in 2004, when I was the Minister for Education and Training. I think it was in August 2004; my diaries have been checked but I am not too sure of the day. I believe that the possibility of this sort of program had been raised with me shortly before that meeting when I attended Balga Senior High School to observe one of its entrepreneurial programs to engage students in education. The then principal, Mr Merv Hammond, had drawn national, and I think some international, acclaim for the variety of programs that he had put in place at Balga Senior High School to try to engage in education disengaged students. My memory tells me that as a result of discussions with me, or comments made to me at that meeting, an appointment was made for me to speak to Mr Carton, Mr Hammond, Mr Hodge I believe, and another gentleman whose name escapes me, who attended a meeting in my then ministerial office. I spent probably 45 minutes - I cannot remember how long it would have been - listening to their proposition. Although I thought that the ultimate outcomes were laudable - that is, more kids would be engaged in education - I actually did not think that the program stacked up at all. The amount of money that was being talked about for state support for such a program was exorbitant. It was in the tens of thousands of dollars per student. My view was that if we were to pay that sort of money, we might as well just pay the students and employ them directly, because the objective was to get students into some form of employment. I have asked for the correspondence files to be looked at to see whether there is any follow-up correspondence, and I believe that there was none from my office. My recollection is that I did not support the program at all. That was, I think, the last I heard of it until very recently. I was asked a question or two about this outside today, and I am able to give a little more detail of where the issue is now. Mr J.H.D. Day : Who approved it? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I think it had federal government funding. My understanding is that it was approved at the local level, and that this is now the subject of a CCC inquiry.
Mr J.H.D. Day : Who approved it? Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I think it had federal government funding. My understanding is that it was approved at the local level, and that this is now the subject of a CCC inquiry.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I think it had federal government funding. My understanding is that it was approved at the local level, and that this is now the subject of a CCC inquiry.
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