Transcript of media conference with Labor Leader Rebecca White and Josh Willie, Labor candidate for Clark (and sitting MLC for Elwick), Benjafield Park, Moonah, 17 March 2024.
Rebecca White
It’s time for a better future and a Labor Government will make sure that we invest in our children and their education because we understand this is one of the most important and powerful ways that we can give them the best start in life, but also set the state up for a better future.
A Labor government we invest in our children’s education with a record investment in education to support catch-up learning in the early years for literacy and numeracy to help those young people who are falling behind. We know we’ve got some of the worst education outcomes in the country, including in literacy and numeracy and we need to do so much more to support our young people before they get into their high school years.
We have a quarter of the Tasmanian school population unable to comprehend and read at an expected standard by the time they reach year seven. That is unacceptable. We need to be able to support our young people early with their learning, including their reading, and also making sure that they have access to the right tools to do that.
A Labor government will invest in an additional $1 million for new readers for our primary school children. Any parent who’s had a child come home with their school readers looks at those books and can see in some instances they’re 30 or 40 years old. We need to be able to give our children the best schoolbooks possible so they can read using the most appropriate evidence we have now to assist them to do that well.
A Labor government will also invest in career educators, putting back into the classroom those people that the Liberal Party ripped out in 2014 when they took away pathway planners. This is so critical to be able to support our young people to be able to connect their learning with the world around them so they can advance into a career here in Tasmania.
We’re also committed to investing in our schools so that our young people have the most appropriate environment in which to learn, a $130 million infrastructure program to target our most neglected schools to make sure that our young people are learning in classrooms that are fit for them and fit for them to learn for a better future. Josh can talk a little bit more about some of the other details of the policy and then we’ve got Joey, who I think is going to be able to have a chat too.
Josh Willie
I’m very pleased to stand here today with the Opposition Leader who will be a great Premier of Tasmania to announce a far superior education policy than the current government. For too long, our education results have lagged the nation. And a Labor Government will leave no child behind. This is a comprehensive education package.
But I think the three headline areas today are catch-up learning, career education, and a huge capital program to invest in schools to make sure that young people get the infrastructure and the services they deserve. In terms of catch-up learning, this is a huge program to build a coalition of the willing: retired teachers, pre-service teachers, qualified teachers who want more work, education support specialists and other specialists to make sure that all kids get the one-on-one tuition that they deserve to catch up in reading, writing and their maths.
It will support the literacy reforms that the department is embarking upon, and we’ll resource those properly. We are absolutely committed to evidence-based practices in schools and we’ll extend structured literacy two years three to six to do that as well. And we’ll make sure that kids are being supported with decodable readers so that the evidence-based instruction in schools is being supported at home with evidence-based resources.
In terms of career education, we will employ 30 career educators across the system, it’ll be a flexible resource. We’ll set up a new unit within the department, the unit for careers and pathways, and they will work with students from year 7 to 12. They’ll work with teachers in embedding career education in the curriculum, they’ll work with teachers on professional learning. They’ll work with local industries and connect them with schools. And this will supercharge career education and make learning more purposeful for Tasmanian students.
Journalist – John Hunt
What’s the timeframe to roll this out?
Josh Willie
We year we will build upon this huge program for education to a full rollout, it’ll be $48.5 million at full rollout. On top of these programs, we’ve got a comprehensive workforce strategy. We’ll be announcing support for mental health services in a few days time. And importantly, what the Liberals are not committing to is that we will commit to a comprehensive independent review of Tasmania’s education system to get to the bottom of why we have been underperforming other states for years.
Tasmanian Times
When will that review take place?
Josh Willie
It’s my intention if I’m the Education Minister in a couple of weeks time to start that ball rolling as soon as possible to make sure that it’s comprehensive, that it’s independent of the department, and that it looks at the system holistically, all parts of the system, to understand why Tasmania’s education system is underperforming. And whilst we do that we have this significant resource to help students catch up in their learning to support the literacy reforms of the department which are evidence-based, to make learning more purposeful for Tasmanian students, connecting them with pathways to meaningful employment and making sure that they are learning in classrooms that are fit for purpose, and modern and appropriate for student learning.
For far too long many of these schools, 15 schools, have been lagging on the priority one list of the department. This government has politicised school infrastructure; they only announced new schools in an election campaign. We will take the politics out of school infrastructure, we’re going to match all of the Liberal commitments. These are priority schools that have been neglected for far too long.
Journalist – unidentified
What do you think has gone wrong with Tasmania’s education system?
Josh Willie
I think it’s no secret that our education system has under-performed for many years. And after 10 years of Liberal government, it’s been no different. In fact, many of the key indicators are going backwards. It’s impacting all of us. Students of today are going to be community leaders, they’re going to be political leaders, business leaders, they’re going to work in our aged care services, they’re going to work in our health services. We need to invest in them. And a Tasmanian Labor government led by Rebecca White will leave no child behind.
Journalist – unidentified
What exactly is the catch-up program?
Josh Willie
It’s educational tuition, up to 300 new tutors to work with students one-on-one to catch up with their learning. It’s based on a Victorian program.
Tasmanian Times
Is this for primary secondary students?
Josh Willie
Primary.
Journalist – John Hunt
It feels as though Tasmania’s been underperforming for many years. How long will it take to turn it around because it sounds like you’re going to have to change many things?
Josh Willie
There have been huge issues in terms of Tasmania’s educate national outcomes for many, many years. And what we’re saying today is it’s time for a better future. We’re going to leave no child behind and we’re going to throw the kitchen sink at this to get kids on track with their learning so that they can reach their potential. This is a great outcome for the young people involved. But it’s a great outcome for all Tasmanians. If we can lift educational outcomes it will improve our society and our economy. It will improve health outcomes, it will reduce the burden on our justice system. This is an investment in Tasmanians and our future.
Tasmanian Times
Are there any special initiatives in your policy for children with disabilities to improve their integration and achievement?
Josh Willie
We’ve got an investment in Square Pegs, which is a great not-for-profit that will advocate for children with a disability. Of course, we’ve been holding the government to account on the educational adjustments model and we know that there are far too many children that are falling behind and being left without the support that they need to engage in learning. We will absolutely make sure that schools have the capacity and the resources they need to make sure no child is left behind.
Journalist – John Hunt
So, what’s your favourite subject in school?
Joey
I like maths, PE, science.
Journalist – John Hunt
What do you like about maths and science.
Joey
I just love to do sums. I like to learn about things in science. Like, I like to do experiments.
Journalist – John Hunt
Do you like the idea of having a little bit more support in the classroom?
Joey
Yes, I do. We should have some more like teachers to help kids that need more helpful learning.
Tasmanian Times
Which school do you go to?
Joey.
All the kids here go to Lenah Valley Primary. I’m in grade five.
Josh Willie
One other thing I’ll just add to about the catch-up learning is – and this is a discussion a federal level – about how hard it is for people to change careers and become teachers. Employing pre-service teachers in a program like this gives them employment while they study. So it’s a great program for them as well, in terms of workforce development.
Journalist – John Hunt
Will you be supporting the Liberals policy to punish those that leave a party?
Rebecca White
What we have seen today from the Liberal Party is a desperate attempt to corral together a party room that isn’t going to desert Jeremy Rockliff again. I don’t think anyone takes seriously the announcement by the Liberal Party today. This is just a demonstration of his lack of leadership, his inability to actually get people to go with him in his party room to deliver on the commitments that they took to the last election.
And yet he’s asking for people to vote for him again. He has to create new laws to get people to work with him. That’s what he’s proposing. It’s just laughable. I think Tasmania deserve a more mature response than what they’re getting at the moment from the current Liberal Party. And that’s why we’re asking them to change the government.
Tasmanian Times
Constitutional changes are pretty serious things. Do you think it’s appropriate or responsible to be just throwing them out as ideas six days before a state election?
Rebecca White
All today’s announcement has done is remind people why we have an early election in the first place. The reason that we are here today is because Jeremy Rockliff couldn’t keep people in his party room. He called the election citing the need for stability. But today’s announcement just reminds people the fact that they are so unstable, they don’t look like they’re going to be able to cobble together enough seats to win a majority. So there is going to continue to be a situation if Jeremy and the Liberals are reelected, where you just have this continuing decline in representation and ongoing chaos and dysfunction.
Journalist – unidentified
How would you vote on this legislation if it did come to be presented?
Rebecca White
This is not the Labor Party’s legislation, it is not something that is on our radar. We seek to work with people and bring people together, not use big sticks, which is apparently the Liberal Party’s approach here: changing the legislation and potentially the constitution to get people to work with them. It’s not our policy.
I think all this announcement by the liberal party today does is remind people that Jeremy Rockliff is a poor leader, he can’t keep people in the tent with him. And he’s going to need new legislation if he’s elected to government in order to provide stability. Surely we deserve better than this.
Journalist – unidentified
Is it democratic to forcibly remove someone that people voted for?
Rebecca White
At the end of the day, the community across our state will decide who’s elected to the parliament. They’re choosing people to represent them as a part of a democracy. And it is not up to Jeremy Rockliff to decide whether or not those people should stay in the parliament or not. It is up to the community decide whether or not they support those people to be elected.
Rules like the ones that Liberal Party have outlined they wanted to introduce today, or change the law like the ones that were outlined they want to introduce todaym completely undermines our democracy. It’s disrespectful to the people who are elected. And I think it just demonstrates again that they are so dysfunctional they’re trying to change the rules of the playbook in order to deal with their own internal chaos.
Journalist – unidentified
What do you think voters will make of this story today or the next few days that the Liberals are planning this sort of legislation?
Rebecca White
If Tasmanians want a stable, mature government, then I encourage them to vote Labor. If you’re sick of the Liberal Party in the way they’re treating people, and today’s a very good example of their disregard for democracy, don’t elect them.
If you really want a parliament that’s going to work together in the best interests of our state I ask people to vote Labor, because this is not our policy that’s been put forward by the Liberal Party today. We respect the will of the people and will work as a government to effect the best outcomes for our community. Unlike the Liberal Party who just want to distract from their own internal problems by carrying a big stick around and whacking people who don’t comply with them.
Tasmanian Times
The JackJumpers are playing the first game in the final series tonight against Melbourne in Melbourne. Do you have a message for the JackJumpers and their fans?
Rebecca White
Well, Josh probably would jump over the top of me here because he’s a big JackJumper supporter too. But we’re very excited to see the Jackies doing so well. We’re very proud to cheer them on. They’ve just been such an amazing change for Tasmanian sport and young people are so in love with them. I really wish them all the best of luck tonight and we’ll all be cheering them on.
Media release – Tasmanian Greens, 17 March 2024
Public school funding shortfall must be addressed
Tasmania’s public schools are drastically underfunded to the tune of $118 million a year, $52 million of which is supposed to come from the Tasmanian Government.
Instead of tackling this issue head-on, the Liberals last year signed a public funding agreement with the Commonwealth that failed to meet School Resourcing Standards (SRS) and allowed Tasmania to count questionable expenses towards its school funding shortfall.
The Greens call on whoever is in government after the election to stump up Tasmania’s fair share of the funding shortfall, regardless of loopholes in the Commonwealth agreement, and demand the Commonwealth pay an additional 5% of SRS funding they are responsible for.
Quotes attributable to Greens candidate for Lyons, Tabatha Badger:
“In a deepening cost of living crisis, too many families are being hit hard by out-of-pocket school expenses.
“Every Tasmanian family should have access to quality, genuinely free, local public school, but persistent underfunding of the public school system is penalising teachers, parents and carers, and degrading the futures of thousands of students.
“To make our education system fairer it’s essential there is fairer funding.
“Our public schools aren’t getting the resources they need, and it’s because of the way State and Federal government are approaching funding. Their approach guarantees that thousands of Tasmanian students are being left without the support they need.
“It’s shameful that our governments underfund government schools, while overfunding non-government schools. No public school in Tasmania is funded to the School Resourcing Standard, when by contrast every private school in Tasmania receives 100% or more of its SRS entitlement.
“No more dodgy accounting tricks, it’s time to fix this mess for Tasmania’s future. Whoever is in government after the election needs to stump up Tasmania’s fair share of the public school funding shortfall and demand the Commonwealth pay the funding they are responsible for too.”
