Mr GUNNER - 2013-05-15
Your budget savages our schools. In real terms, you have cut education spending by $51m. You are cutting 130 teachers and you are reducing teacher and support staff pay by $34m. With fewer teachers you have larger classes and fewer subjects. You are cutting the number of Indigenous students in senior schools by 215, and when teachers raised concerns, you called them lazy. You said they had too much down time. Why have you decided to reduce the quality of education our students receive?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I welcome the member for Fannie Bay’s question.
Firstly, I understand why the budget was in so much trouble under you guys because you cannot count. Look at page 101 of the last budget. This is the budget you brought down last year, and I will read out the figure. In 2012-13, you budgeted $685m for education. In the budget we brought down, the education spend is $685m. You talk about cuts, and whilst we will acknowledge there are some cuts to funding from the federal government, we have allocated exactly the same amount of money: $685m.
These are your figures. This is the budget, and in the last year we have spent over $700m on education. This government, a Country Liberals government, has spent more money in the last 12 months on education than any previous government. So if you want to talk about smoke and mirrors, let us talk about your facts. They are your figures; page 101 was it? Your budget was $685m and our budget is $685m. It is the same money. Yes, I have a focus on the early years of education because, and I will say it again and again, everything I have read about building a solid foundation will provide …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Why are you stripping 130 teachers out of our senior and our middle schools?
Madam SPEAKER: Opposition Leader, that is a frivolous comment. By my reckoning you have made seven. You are on a warning.
Mr CHANDLER: How did they get the budget so wrong? How well did they manage in the last 11 years in government? A testament again to a figure like that - how you would come up with a figure of 131 teachers; it is absolutely wrong. It is less than half of that, and 61 will be put back into the early years of education where the foundation needs to be built. The number is less than half what you are saying.
In regard to comments you guys have made, and perhaps the media has stated, tell me where I have ever said anything about down time or lazy teachers! It has been reported in the media, reported by you guys, but it has not been said once. Teachers spend countless hours of their own time supporting education in the Northern Territory. mI have the utmost respect for teachers and the work they do, both in and out of the classroom.
It is hypocritical of a government, such as you, to try to score cheap political points. Spend countless hours of your own time supporting education in the Northern Territory, then come into this Chamber and say I do not have a passion for education.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I welcome the member for Fannie Bay’s question.
Firstly, I understand why the budget was in so much trouble under you guys because you cannot count. Look at page 101 of the last budget. This is the budget you brought down last year, and I will read out the figure. In 2012-13, you budgeted $685m for education. In the budget we brought down, the education spend is $685m. You talk about cuts, and whilst we will acknowledge there are some cuts to funding from the federal government, we have allocated exactly the same amount of money: $685m.
These are your figures. This is the budget, and in the last year we have spent over $700m on education. This government, a Country Liberals government, has spent more money in the last 12 months on education than any previous government. So if you want to talk about smoke and mirrors, let us talk about your facts. They are your figures; page 101 was it? Your budget was $685m and our budget is $685m. It is the same money. Yes, I have a focus on the early years of education because, and I will say it again and again, everything I have read about building a solid foundation will provide …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Why are you stripping 130 teachers out of our senior and our middle schools?
Madam SPEAKER: Opposition Leader, that is a frivolous comment. By my reckoning you have made seven. You are on a warning.
Mr CHANDLER: How did they get the budget so wrong? How well did they manage in the last 11 years in government? A testament again to a figure like that - how you would come up with a figure of 131 teachers; it is absolutely wrong. It is less than half of that, and 61 will be put back into the early years of education where the foundation needs to be built. The number is less than half what you are saying.
In regard to comments you guys have made, and perhaps the media has stated, tell me where I have ever said anything about down time or lazy teachers! It has been reported in the media, reported by you guys, but it has not been said once. Teachers spend countless hours of their own time supporting education in the Northern Territory. mI have the utmost respect for teachers and the work they do, both in and out of the classroom.
It is hypocritical of a government, such as you, to try to score cheap political points. Spend countless hours of your own time supporting education in the Northern Territory, then come into this Chamber and say I do not have a passion for education.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016