House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-03-04 Daily Xml

Contents

Fruit Fly

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee) (14:36): My question is to the Minister for Primary Industries. Can the minister advise the house what arrangements he put in place to advise school principals of public schools, independent schools and Catholic schools before the start of the current school term?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Minister for Education has the call.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER (Morialta—Minister for Education) (14:36): Further to my last answer, information that was going through the education department to school principals came from PIRSA, I think on the Friday before school started—either on the Friday or the Monday. The Tuesday, from recollection, was a public holiday in most sites. Information was specific to their sites, of course. One of the complications was that the rules were different in different areas because not all schools had the same rules applying. Not all schools were in a red zone. Some schools were not in an outbreak zone at all.

That work to make sure that the schools were able to provide the accurate information to the parents was undertaken and was not helped, I've got to say, by the opposition going out to do press conferences suggesting that this was a matter that was going to affect every single school and every single family in the state. That definitely added to the confusion.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: We encouraged parents to listen to the advice—

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Leader!

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: —that was provided by their principals. Much of that advice came from PIRSA. Some of it was also supported by the Department for Education.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Before I call the member for Lee, I warn the member for Schubert, I warn the member for Cheltenham, I call to order the member for Hurtle Vale and I call to order the leader.