Mr GUNNER - 2012-10-30
The department has been restructured and critical services within the Education department have been asked to find savings up to 15%. These have seen things such as the manager’s position for the CSIRO go - which will mean no access for NT students and teachers to natural science resources and programs delivered by the CSIRO - as well as a loss of other programs, activities, and resources. What other education services will be lost to meet your demand for savings?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Fannie Bay. To begin with I will get one thing straight; the savings we are asking for across the board are for one reason only: because of the incompetence of the former government that has placed us in a financial situation which is so serious, so dire, that if we do not do something now as a new government, Territorians face a very grim future.
Mr GUNNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113, Relevance. I ask the minister to answer the question about education services.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, if you could get to the point.
Mrs LAMBLEY: Thank you, I was setting the context. I have not heard of a percentage put on the savings within the Education department. Fifteen per cent is what the member for Fannie Bay has just said. I believe he made that up in his dreams. Fifteen percent is not a percentage I have heard, and I have not instructed the department to make 15% savings.
The non-renewed position connected to the CSIRO is not a frontline service. We have made no secrets in our intention to concentrate on positions and services that are non-essential and are not frontline. All frontline services will remain; we feel it is essential that this government maintains services of education and care within the education system to children.
So, in response to what the member for Fannie Bay is getting at: where will the savings occur? They will not be in the front line and they will not be in positions that will have a direct impact on the front line. For example, this CSIRO position has been there for many years, it is a valued position, but it is a rather unique position in that it is a conduit between the Department of Education and Children’s services and the CSIRO; it is a liaison position. It is the view of the department that this position is almost not required given that science teachers are more than capable of accessing scientific research and material across a broad range of platforms, including the CSIRO. People these days access information much better and much faster than they used to.
Although this position has been valued in the past, it has probably come to its use-by-date.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Fannie Bay. To begin with I will get one thing straight; the savings we are asking for across the board are for one reason only: because of the incompetence of the former government that has placed us in a financial situation which is so serious, so dire, that if we do not do something now as a new government, Territorians face a very grim future.
Mr GUNNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113, Relevance. I ask the minister to answer the question about education services.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, if you could get to the point.
Mrs LAMBLEY: Thank you, I was setting the context. I have not heard of a percentage put on the savings within the Education department. Fifteen per cent is what the member for Fannie Bay has just said. I believe he made that up in his dreams. Fifteen percent is not a percentage I have heard, and I have not instructed the department to make 15% savings.
The non-renewed position connected to the CSIRO is not a frontline service. We have made no secrets in our intention to concentrate on positions and services that are non-essential and are not frontline. All frontline services will remain; we feel it is essential that this government maintains services of education and care within the education system to children.
So, in response to what the member for Fannie Bay is getting at: where will the savings occur? They will not be in the front line and they will not be in positions that will have a direct impact on the front line. For example, this CSIRO position has been there for many years, it is a valued position, but it is a rather unique position in that it is a conduit between the Department of Education and Children’s services and the CSIRO; it is a liaison position. It is the view of the department that this position is almost not required given that science teachers are more than capable of accessing scientific research and material across a broad range of platforms, including the CSIRO. People these days access information much better and much faster than they used to.
Although this position has been valued in the past, it has probably come to its use-by-date.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016