Mr MITCHELL - 1995-05-23
Can the minister inform the House on the Australian Education Union's claim of a 10% cut in the Territory's education budget?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, this demonstrates obviously again where the union obtains its advice. In this case, I assume that the member for Nhulunbuy, who is himself a former teacher, ought to understand the first principle of mathematics. When he is given information, he should at least digest it or question its authenticity. There is no way that, by any stretch of the imagination, any decrease can be found in these budget papers, let alone a 10% decrease, in the education budget. In fact, when the one-off capital works projects that were carried out last year, such as Woodroffe Primary School, are extracted, the Northern Territory's education budget contains 3.3% growth. When we exclude the Commonwealth programs, which have been dropped - and I will talk a little more about that later - and items like the Open College, the functions of which have transferred to NTETA, the figures reveal 3.3% growth. To demonstrate how absurd were the comments of the president of the Education Union on radio the other day - that a 10% cut was equivalent to $25m to $28m or 600 jobs - let someone tell me where the 600 teachers have gone to or are coming from? It is illogical. It does not take an Einstein to figure this out. When you rely on the advice of the member for Nhulunbuy, you are likely to get it wrong.
While we are talking about cuts, I note with some delight that the member for Barkly has acknowledged at least that the Territory's federal member, Hon Warren Snowdon, has his budget wrong. We heard the other day about the reordering of priorities whereby he is cutting out the education centres in 4 regions of the Northern Territory, decreasing the advice and support available to our remote and rural students, removing support to remote residential students and their colleges, removing the professional development subsidies for our teachers through which they might have improved their skills and abilities, and removing funds for gifted and talented students. Where is the clever country going? The education centre work has been going on for 20-odd years in joint partnership with the federal government. All of a sudden, the funding is to disappear. Where does the member for Barkly think the half-million dollars ought to come from? Should it come from the Territory government budget? I have not seen a press release from her, but I would be very interested to hear her expanded comments on this matter.
Last year, the Territory government brought in new school counsellors, extra therapists, special education workers and behavioural management people. All these are still in the system and are being paid today. There is another $1.5m extra this year and there are new programs this year. Nevertheless, the member opposite advises that there is a 10% cut. I hope that the member for Barkly will take this issue up with the member for the Northern Territory, her mate, Warren Snowdon. He helped her in her first campaign. They were arm in arm. Let
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us see how much influence she has over him now. She agrees that the people in the bush in her electorate should not be deprived by Warren Snowdon. Let us see how much influence she has. While she is at it, she can ask the very simple question as to why Aboriginal students are not treated in the same way as our European and Asian migrants when it comes to the very effective ESL programs. There are Aboriginal students who do not have English as a first language and who are denied access to these programs by Warren Snowdon and his buddies in Canberra. Ask him about ESL. Ask him why there is no continuity for AEP programs. The only way to find out about the federal budget is from leaks from the departments.
I understand that the member for Barkly would have some support for the AEP program, as would other members opposite with bush electorates. The AEP program in the Northern Territory is currently $12m per year. That is about 20% of what the Northern Territory government spends in the bush. The member might ask Warren Snowdon what substance there is to the review which is being undertaken yet again into AEP and which would give us a per capita grant in the Northern Territory instead of a grant on merit. The $12m will become $8m. Warren Snowdon's budget by stealth is sneaky and very negative. By the time we extract it all from him, tooth by tooth, Territorians, particularly those in the bush and Aboriginals whom he claims to champion, will know exactly whom he stands for, and it is not them.
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ANSWER
Mr Speaker, this demonstrates obviously again where the union obtains its advice. In this case, I assume that the member for Nhulunbuy, who is himself a former teacher, ought to understand the first principle of mathematics. When he is given information, he should at least digest it or question its authenticity. There is no way that, by any stretch of the imagination, any decrease can be found in these budget papers, let alone a 10% decrease, in the education budget. In fact, when the one-off capital works projects that were carried out last year, such as Woodroffe Primary School, are extracted, the Northern Territory's education budget contains 3.3% growth. When we exclude the Commonwealth programs, which have been dropped - and I will talk a little more about that later - and items like the Open College, the functions of which have transferred to NTETA, the figures reveal 3.3% growth. To demonstrate how absurd were the comments of the president of the Education Union on radio the other day - that a 10% cut was equivalent to $25m to $28m or 600 jobs - let someone tell me where the 600 teachers have gone to or are coming from? It is illogical. It does not take an Einstein to figure this out. When you rely on the advice of the member for Nhulunbuy, you are likely to get it wrong.
While we are talking about cuts, I note with some delight that the member for Barkly has acknowledged at least that the Territory's federal member, Hon Warren Snowdon, has his budget wrong. We heard the other day about the reordering of priorities whereby he is cutting out the education centres in 4 regions of the Northern Territory, decreasing the advice and support available to our remote and rural students, removing support to remote residential students and their colleges, removing the professional development subsidies for our teachers through which they might have improved their skills and abilities, and removing funds for gifted and talented students. Where is the clever country going? The education centre work has been going on for 20-odd years in joint partnership with the federal government. All of a sudden, the funding is to disappear. Where does the member for Barkly think the half-million dollars ought to come from? Should it come from the Territory government budget? I have not seen a press release from her, but I would be very interested to hear her expanded comments on this matter.
Last year, the Territory government brought in new school counsellors, extra therapists, special education workers and behavioural management people. All these are still in the system and are being paid today. There is another $1.5m extra this year and there are new programs this year. Nevertheless, the member opposite advises that there is a 10% cut. I hope that the member for Barkly will take this issue up with the member for the Northern Territory, her mate, Warren Snowdon. He helped her in her first campaign. They were arm in arm. Let
Page 569
us see how much influence she has over him now. She agrees that the people in the bush in her electorate should not be deprived by Warren Snowdon. Let us see how much influence she has. While she is at it, she can ask the very simple question as to why Aboriginal students are not treated in the same way as our European and Asian migrants when it comes to the very effective ESL programs. There are Aboriginal students who do not have English as a first language and who are denied access to these programs by Warren Snowdon and his buddies in Canberra. Ask him about ESL. Ask him why there is no continuity for AEP programs. The only way to find out about the federal budget is from leaks from the departments.
I understand that the member for Barkly would have some support for the AEP program, as would other members opposite with bush electorates. The AEP program in the Northern Territory is currently $12m per year. That is about 20% of what the Northern Territory government spends in the bush. The member might ask Warren Snowdon what substance there is to the review which is being undertaken yet again into AEP and which would give us a per capita grant in the Northern Territory instead of a grant on merit. The $12m will become $8m. Warren Snowdon's budget by stealth is sneaky and very negative. By the time we extract it all from him, tooth by tooth, Territorians, particularly those in the bush and Aboriginals whom he claims to champion, will know exactly whom he stands for, and it is not them.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016