‘I wasn’t expecting this’: Premier’s press conference announcing $100 discount to state school fees turns awkward

An early morning Liberal press conference announcing a $100 cut to school costs was derailed by an uncomfortable exchange with a Greenwith resident who hosted the event.

A Liberal press conference was derailed after a woman who hosted the event out the front of her house admitted she felt “uncomfortable” and had not yet thought about who she would vote for.

Premier Steven Marshall and King MP Paula Luethen visited the Greenwith home of Chanie Slater on Wednesday morning to announce a policy that would discount $100 off school fees for public school students.

But when Ms Slater – who appeared with her school-aged daughters – was asked by a reporter whether she had thought about who she would vote for, she said “not yet”.

“I’d prefer not to comment,” she said.

“I wasn’t expecting all of this, to be honest, this morning.”

Asked if she had any prior involvement with the Liberal Party, Ms Slater again said “I’d like to just not comment”.

“Like I said, I wasn’t expecting all this so I’m feeling a little bit uncomfortable,” she said.

The exchange came after the Labor opposition had a slip-up of their own on Tuesday, when a tourism industry representative at their press conference declared his support for the Liberals’ Riverbank Arena.

“Any project that can bring tourists into South Australia is supported by the tourism industry,” Sofitel guest experience manager Dragos Golaes said.

Chanie Slater appeared at a government press conference on Wednesday morning alongside Premier Steven Marshall and King MP Paula Luethen. Picture: 7NEWS/Andrea Nicolas

Outlining his education pledge, Mr Marshall said the scheme would save families up to $24m in total over the 2022 and 2023 school years for the discount to state schools’ materials and services charge.

But he said the funding was not new – it had already been approved by Cabinet and would come from within “existing departmental resources”.

“It’s going to come out of our existing education budget. So no impact on the election campaign costings,” he said.

Currently, parents must pay at least $253 for a primary school student and $334 for a secondary school student to cover the materials and services charge.

Under the pledge, these fees would be reduced by $100 per student, meaning primary school students would be charged $153 and secondary students $234.

“This means there will be more money on the pockets of families,” Mr Marshall said.

The discount would be applied from the beginning of the 2022 school year, and parents who have already paid the fee would be offered a refund.

Premier Steven Marshall. Picture: Brenton Edwards

The materials and services charge covers the cost of items needed for public school students to cover the curriculum.

The department would subsidise schools for the loss of external revenue through additional education grants to ensure schools are not worse-off overall, Mr Marshall said.

It comes as the government yesterday promised they would fund $39m to transform ageing transportable classrooms at 20 SA schools if re-elected.