Mr HIGGINS - 2013-02-13
To get back to the truth, will you explain to the House how the doubling of the Back to School Payment Scheme has made a significant difference for parents in getting their children back to school at the start of the New Year?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, this is the keeping of one of the many promises we have kept as the government of the Northern Territory. This is one we are particularly proud of, because we acknowledge there are expenses involved with getting your kids back to school.
The idea the Labor Party ran with, their $75 Back to School voucher - pilfered from us, by the way, in the 2008 election - was something they were not intending at any time to increase ...
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Not true! It was in our costed election commitments. We were doubling it to $150.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Sit down.
Ms Lawrie: He is lying.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Sit down! Opposition Leader, you are on a warning!
Mr ELFERINK: They had no intention of increasing this into the future, but we did. We went to the election saying we would increase the amount to $150, something we are particularly proud of.
For example, in the unrepresented Wanguri electorate, some 1092 students have already accessed their Back to School payments. Is that not good news for the people of Wanguri? Whilst the Labor Party is happy to abandon Wanguri in this House, we on this side of the House, of course, are not. The Wanguri Primary School has been provided with $58 800 in 2013 for parents to use at school. This amount is up from $29 400 just 12 months ago.
Leanyer Primary School has been provided with $83 100 in 2013 for the use of parents at the school, up from just $41 550 in 2012.
Henbury school has been provided with $12 000 in 2013 for parents to use the school, up from $6000, an increase of 100% - the maths is correct - from 2012.
The Territory students who go to these and other schools are enjoying the benefits of this scheme. It pays for uniforms, books and stationery, and enables parents to ensure their kids get a good kick-start at the beginning of the year ...
Members interjecting.
Mr ELFERINK: I hear the squealing and bleating from the members opposite because they think they have some right to all the good ideas in the world. Well, guess what? This was a CLP idea that went way back many years ago. Unfortunately, not only do they produce lies, they also are larcenists ...
Madam SPEAKER: Your time has expired, minister.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, this is the keeping of one of the many promises we have kept as the government of the Northern Territory. This is one we are particularly proud of, because we acknowledge there are expenses involved with getting your kids back to school.
The idea the Labor Party ran with, their $75 Back to School voucher - pilfered from us, by the way, in the 2008 election - was something they were not intending at any time to increase ...
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Not true! It was in our costed election commitments. We were doubling it to $150.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Sit down.
Ms Lawrie: He is lying.
Madam SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Sit down! Opposition Leader, you are on a warning!
Mr ELFERINK: They had no intention of increasing this into the future, but we did. We went to the election saying we would increase the amount to $150, something we are particularly proud of.
For example, in the unrepresented Wanguri electorate, some 1092 students have already accessed their Back to School payments. Is that not good news for the people of Wanguri? Whilst the Labor Party is happy to abandon Wanguri in this House, we on this side of the House, of course, are not. The Wanguri Primary School has been provided with $58 800 in 2013 for parents to use at school. This amount is up from $29 400 just 12 months ago.
Leanyer Primary School has been provided with $83 100 in 2013 for the use of parents at the school, up from just $41 550 in 2012.
Henbury school has been provided with $12 000 in 2013 for parents to use the school, up from $6000, an increase of 100% - the maths is correct - from 2012.
The Territory students who go to these and other schools are enjoying the benefits of this scheme. It pays for uniforms, books and stationery, and enables parents to ensure their kids get a good kick-start at the beginning of the year ...
Members interjecting.
Mr ELFERINK: I hear the squealing and bleating from the members opposite because they think they have some right to all the good ideas in the world. Well, guess what? This was a CLP idea that went way back many years ago. Unfortunately, not only do they produce lies, they also are larcenists ...
Madam SPEAKER: Your time has expired, minister.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016