Mr TOYNE - 2000-08-17
Schools and their communities are very concerned about a recent decision by the Education Department to withhold 20% of school operational funding this financial year. The loss of this funding has put enormous pressure on schools as they deal with ever-increasing costs. This pressure could spill over to the loss of staff positions such as cleaners and administrative assistants, and force schools to borrow money. Can the minister tell us why the money has been withheld? Will he guarantee that schools will receive the full 100% of their operational funds immediately?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, this is yet another example of Labor deliberately misrepresenting the facts. I had a meeting yesterday …
Ms Martin: What a load of rubbish!
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr LUGG: Do you want the answer?
Ms Martin: I do. But don’t say it is misinformation.
Mr LUGG: I had a meeting yesterday with the president of the Principals’ Association, Don Zoellner, in my office here. He tells me that the schools generally are not concerned.
Ms Martin: Come to our school council meeting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order, Leader of the Opposition!
Mr LUGG: For your edification, I will read from a letter from another school council. This is what they had to say:
You may have read in the NT News that there are a few problems surrounding second semester funding allocations. I just want to put you in the picture regarding the situation at Karama School. We have received our funding - there never was any crisis - significantly because of the way we have our school council accounts arranged. I have no problems about enrolment and attendance-related funding.
Now, that is the general view of the Principals’ Association. The release of 80% of the second semester funding - 80% of half, which translates to 40% of the whole - is simply a measure of the way we are doing business in the Education Department. That is simply best management practice. And that is related ..
Ms Martin: You’re telling schools they won’t get it.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Ms Martin: Yes, you are – you are telling schools they won’t get it.
Mr Reed: You are.
Mr SPEAKER: Order on both sides!
Mr Reed: I think you have been naughty.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The minister has the floor.
Mr LUGG: She has been naughty again.
Mr Balch: Casual handling of the truth.
Mr LUGG: Very casual handling of the truth is another way of putting it. Just look at what you said last night about Darwin High School. I gave an absolute assurance we are not closing or relocating Darwin High School. Yet in your adjournment debate you started the rumours again.
Mr TOYNE: A point of order, Mr Speaker! This has nothing to do with the question posed.
Mr SPEAKER: There is no point of order. If there were fewer interjections, there would be no need to call points of order. You are in fact asking further questions, and you are going to get a prolonged answer every time you do it.
Mr LUGG: 80% of the second semester funding has been sent out. Most of that funding is related to attendance. Schools have a projected attendance and then an actual attendance. What we have done with that funding is simply introduce a way of reconciling the two. It is about prudent management and it is about equitable funding. It is based upon …
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr LUGG: What do I do, Mr Speaker?
Mr SPEAKER: I suggest you could sit down.
Mr LUGG: The funding is related to actual attendance. When they are reconciled the funding adjustments will be made up relating to the attendance - simple as that.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, this is yet another example of Labor deliberately misrepresenting the facts. I had a meeting yesterday …
Ms Martin: What a load of rubbish!
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr LUGG: Do you want the answer?
Ms Martin: I do. But don’t say it is misinformation.
Mr LUGG: I had a meeting yesterday with the president of the Principals’ Association, Don Zoellner, in my office here. He tells me that the schools generally are not concerned.
Ms Martin: Come to our school council meeting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order, Leader of the Opposition!
Mr LUGG: For your edification, I will read from a letter from another school council. This is what they had to say:
You may have read in the NT News that there are a few problems surrounding second semester funding allocations. I just want to put you in the picture regarding the situation at Karama School. We have received our funding - there never was any crisis - significantly because of the way we have our school council accounts arranged. I have no problems about enrolment and attendance-related funding.
Now, that is the general view of the Principals’ Association. The release of 80% of the second semester funding - 80% of half, which translates to 40% of the whole - is simply a measure of the way we are doing business in the Education Department. That is simply best management practice. And that is related ..
Ms Martin: You’re telling schools they won’t get it.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Ms Martin: Yes, you are – you are telling schools they won’t get it.
Mr Reed: You are.
Mr SPEAKER: Order on both sides!
Mr Reed: I think you have been naughty.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The minister has the floor.
Mr LUGG: She has been naughty again.
Mr Balch: Casual handling of the truth.
Mr LUGG: Very casual handling of the truth is another way of putting it. Just look at what you said last night about Darwin High School. I gave an absolute assurance we are not closing or relocating Darwin High School. Yet in your adjournment debate you started the rumours again.
Mr TOYNE: A point of order, Mr Speaker! This has nothing to do with the question posed.
Mr SPEAKER: There is no point of order. If there were fewer interjections, there would be no need to call points of order. You are in fact asking further questions, and you are going to get a prolonged answer every time you do it.
Mr LUGG: 80% of the second semester funding has been sent out. Most of that funding is related to attendance. Schools have a projected attendance and then an actual attendance. What we have done with that funding is simply introduce a way of reconciling the two. It is about prudent management and it is about equitable funding. It is based upon …
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr LUGG: What do I do, Mr Speaker?
Mr SPEAKER: I suggest you could sit down.
Mr LUGG: The funding is related to actual attendance. When they are reconciled the funding adjustments will be made up relating to the attendance - simple as that.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016