Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY - Wednesday, 14 June 2006] p3679b-3680a Mr John Day; Mr

OUTCOMES-BASED EDUCATION - RALLY 337. Mr J.H.D. DAY to the Premier: I am sure that the Premier is aware that an anti-outcomes-based education rally has been organised for later this afternoon on the front steps of Parliament House. This is yet another example of concerned teachers and stakeholders voicing their disapproval with the government’s management of this issue. (1) Given that the Premier has taken control of the OBE issue, will he address the rally? (2) Will the Premier take this opportunity to pledge to ’s teachers that he will leave the door open for the implementation of OBE to be delayed if they are still not ready following the changes; and, if not, why not? (3) Given the massive angst and anger that his Minister for Education and Training has caused throughout the community because of her incompetent management of this issue, will he make the tough political decision and put the education portfolio in the hands of a more capable minister? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: (1)-(3) In response to the third part of the question, that was a terribly unkind thing to say. Several members interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: The member for Darling Range disappoints me by taking that sort of approach. The answer to that part of the question is no. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: One of the behavioural performances that is inculcated in school is that when people on their feet are speaking, others should not interrupt. Several members interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: It is truly appalling to see an adult do that, is it not, children? They are all nodding their heads in agreement. I hope that the young observers in the public gallery report to their parents that opposition members of Parliament are an absolute disgrace. In relation to the Minister for Education and Training, can I say - that is becoming a very common phrase in politics - that the personalisation of this issue and the abuse, nastiness and the almost incomprehensible personal approach towards the minister by newspaper betrays all sorts of very unpleasant aspects of the characters of certain people. It is beyond the pale. There is a sickness afoot in political discourse in Western Australia, and that is the manifestation of it. It truly is that sort of personalisation in the attack on the education minister - Several members interjected. The SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr A.J. CARPENTER: It has been a very difficult issue because it is a major reform. Mr P.D. Omodei: It has been made difficult by your inaction, Premier. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: It has been coming for a long time, but lots of issues are associated with it. Change in education, as much as in any other area of government, is always difficult, and it was always going to be difficult to manage. We are at one of the critical points in the management of this change. I anticipate that we will get through this point and that the implementation will go ahead. There will be no delay. There will be no need to delay because the teachers will feel confident that all the issues they have raised about content and context, comparability, assessment, workload and support structures are being addressed. I am absolutely confident that they will feel that way. People come to Parliament House all the time to protest. It will be interesting to see what happens at Parliament this afternoon. Mr T. Buswell interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: I will be interested to see what will be the response to the call for the rally. Most of the teachers who have had concerns about this issue are satisfied that their concerns are being addressed. They are awaiting the outcome of that process, but they are satisfied that the concerns are being addressed. People are

[1] Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY - Wednesday, 14 June 2006] p3679b-3680a Mr John Day; Mr Alan Carpenter free to protest all the time. The Minister for Education and Training is in charge of this issue. She is the education minister. I have a role to play as Premier, and I am playing that role. Mr P.D. Omodei: We thought you had taken over that role. Mr A.J. CARPENTER: Members opposite can ask this question every day of the week if they like. It is interesting, but it is “damned if you do and damned if you don’t” stuff. As I said yesterday, , who sat in this seat before me, was attacked in a completely unfair and personal way during his many years in politics. One of those streams of attack was that he appeared only when the news was good. We have a Premier who is now being attacked because he appears when the news is not good. I appear when the news is not good and I am being attacked for it. That is just pathetic.

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