Schools payroll tax
Jess WILSON (Kew) (14:25): My question is to the Minister for Education. Andale School in Kew is a specialist primary school of just 22 students that provides a specialised education for children that are not reaching their full potential in the mainstream system. Andale School is registered as a public benevolent institution. The minister is meeting with Andale School tomorrow. Will the minister advise that it is government policy that schools that are public benevolent institutions are exempt from the schools tax?
Natalie HUTCHINS (Sydenham – Minister for Education, Minister for Women) (14:26): I thank the member for her question. As she knows, this government has now applied payroll tax to the wealthiest schools in this state, and we have drawn a line in the sand of $15,000 to be subject to those schools that pay that in fees. Also the government has done extensive consultation with the sector, and that threshold has been broadly aligned with the ACARA standards and measuring by the federal government. I am really pleased to say that the vast majority of non-government schools have been exempt from that, with only 60 schools being captured, or 8 per cent. Let us make sure that we all recognise that these are the wealthiest private schools in this state and that government schools across the state continue to pay this payroll tax –
Jess Wilson: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, the question was very specific about whether the schools tax will apply to public benevolent institutions like Andale School.
The SPEAKER: The minister was being relevant to the question that was asked.
Natalie HUTCHINS: We are yet to be advised as to whether the status of this school is as a benevolent institution or not, but I am happy to meet with the school, and that is why I have made time in my diary to sit down and talk to them about this. At this stage they are on the list because they do charge the fees to the students and the families that go there in line with the other schools that are on the list.
Jess WILSON (Kew) (14:28): Under the government’s schools tax legislation, the minister has full power to add and remove schools from the hit list by the stroke of a pen. Regardless of the SRO’s advice, will you commit to doing the right thing and exempting Andale School from the schools tax?
Natalie HUTCHINS (Sydenham – Minister for Education, Minister for Women) (14:28): It astounds me that the opposition continue to ask about the wealthiest schools in this state and continue to –
Members interjecting.
Natalie HUTCHINS: Well, there has not been a single question that those opposite have asked me about our public school system, about our outcomes when it comes to education, about our investment in capital in the about 100 schools we are building. I have already said that I will meet with this school tomorrow. I will discuss this with them, but the reality is that our government is delivering for the non-government sector. We have put up $450 million worth of capital investments to be shared across the Catholic and non-government sector when it comes to this year’s budget, and we will continue to fund specific programs that extend into the non-government sector in those schools that truly need it.