Page 3093 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 16 September 2015
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MS BURCH: It was dismantled and left on the school campus for some time. Then it was removed from the school campus. It has been dismantled and disposed of.
MADAM SPEAKER: Supplementary question, Mr Wall.
MR WALL: Minister, why has the structure not been preserved as evidence in the event the matter warrants further inquiry?
MS BURCH: Because it was considered that the investigation has now been concluded. All matters that needed to be indentified were identified and the appropriate actions put in place.
MADAM SPEAKER: Supplementary question, Mr Doszpot.
MR DOSZPOT: Minister, where did the funding come from to pay for the construction of the cage-like structure?
Dr Bourke: A point of order, Madam Speaker, on the question of relevance to the initial question. A supplementary is meant to be relevant to the initial question, which was about the disposal of the inappropriate withdrawal structure. Mr Doszpot is going back to some completely different matter.
MADAM SPEAKER: I am sorry, I am not going to take that as a point of order. There were two questions about the structure at the school—one about where it was, one about why it was demolished or dismantled, and a third one. They are all clearly about the same topic, which is about the structure at the school. Mr Doszpot, can you repeat the question, please?
MR DOSZPOT: The question is: minister, from where did the funding come to pay for the construction of the cage-like structure?
MS BURCH: As has been made public, there was a cost of over $5,000 that was paid out of school funds under the authority of the principal. That is where the funds came from. In response to Mr Wall’s question—I want to be clear—I understood it to be dismantled and removed, as in disposed of, but it has been dismantled, removed and it is now stored; so just to be clear.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Doszpot.
MR DOSZPOT: Minister, are there any departmental guidelines on the use of these types of structures or withdrawal spaces in a school environment?
MS BURCH: To the use of withdrawal spaces, they have a place in all our schools. But let us be clear: this structure had no place in any school at any time—for 17 days or 17 seconds. What the director-general also announced last week was the new position, the director of families and students. They will have a very clear priority to go through to tighten up and refresh any policies and protocols around the use of safe places, withdrawal places, across all our schools.
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