QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE – BUILDING THE EDUCATION REVOLUTION PROGRAM
September 10, 2009
Mr CHESTER (3.39 pm) — My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister, the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, the Minister for Education and the Minister for Social Inclusion. I refer the minister to the Newmerella Primary School in East Gippsland which has been granted $850,000 under the Primary Schools for the 21st Century program. Is the minister aware that the project manager and a representative from the education department contacted the primary school principal and told him that the template buildings are more expensive than the government thought and projects will all be retendered, forcing a further delay of at least two months? Minister, has there been another cost blow-out in the so-called Building the Education Revolution?
Ms GILLARD — I thank the member for Gippsland for his question and his drawing my attention to one
school in his electorate. His electorate is home to 104 schools. Those 104 schools are benefiting from 190 projects under the Building the Education Revolution program with an investment of more than $ 117 million, so I certainly look forward to the member continuing to ask me questions. He has asked me about one school today and I will very much welcome questions about the other 103 schools and the 190 projects in his electorate.
Honourable members interjecting —
The SPEAKER — Order! The members for Solomon, Flynn and Dawson. The member for Dawson was probably encouraging it. That is why he got mentioned. You will sit there quietly.
Mr Chester — Mr Speaker, on a point of order on relevance: the question referred specifically to the Newmerella Primary School. If the minister does want to debate the number of jobs in Gippsland, there were no—
The SPEAKER — The member for Gippsland will resume his seat. He has made his point of order.
Ms GILLARD — I say to the member for Gippsland that I think he will find, with 190 projects in his electorate and an investment of $117 million, that will be supporting local jobs, and if I know the form of the member for Gippsland can I just predict that he will be there associating himself with the openings of each of those projects.
We will see him in a hard hat before the end of the year. I will put money on it. I will also put money on the fact that by the end of the year I and a number of my colleagues will have got letters from the member for Gippsland asking for more investment in his electorate. I am sure that will be happening, too.
On the question of costs and Building the Education Revolution, as the member for Gippsland would know because I am sure he is familiar with the $117 million investment and 190 projects in 104 schools in his electorate, contracting and tendering for the state schools is being managed by the state government and for Catholic and independent schools by the relevant school authorities.
We obviously work with them to get value for money. The member has referred to cost blow-outs. I believe he is confused with the Investing in Our Schools Program where there was an underestimate through costing at 80 per cent and a consequent need to go back to budget and get extra money.
If the member for Gippsland has an issue that he is concerned about, if he wants to work through that, obviously we want to ensure that the best possible value for money is obtained in local schools in his area and around the country. Can I say to the member for Gippsland more broadly that when he is dealing with these issues—he may have spoken to the principal he cites or he may have spoken to the local tenderer—I hope that he is making clear in each and every one of those conversations that when he was asked in this parliament to vote for this investment in schools and in supporting local jobs he voted against it.
Mr Chester — I ask leave to table the email from the principal.
Leave not granted.