Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Chifley for his question and acknowledge his advocacy and support of the 38 primary schools, nine combined primary-secondary schools, 18 secondary schools and one special school in his electorate, all of which will benefit from our Building the Education Revolution program, which is there to benefit every school in this country. This program, of course, is supported by the people who care about education, particularly the Australian Primary Principals Association, which said:

The education package provides much needed support for our building industry but more importantly it is a long term investment for Australia’s young children.

I table that press release. Of course, it got strong support from the Australian Special Education Principals Association, who have talked about how it is ‘a shot in the arm for special schools around the nation who have been struggling to provide quality learning environments for students with disabilities’. They go on to talk about the problems of teaching those students in temporary, fabricated, non-purpose-built classrooms that are up to 30 years old. I table that press release.

In view of this endorsement from the education community, what we know at the end of this sitting week, as parliament draws to a close, is that members of parliament on this side of the House will be able to go back to their local communities saying that they have a Nation Building and Jobs Plan. Members on that side of the House will go back saying that they have no plan. Members on this side of the House will go back to their local communities saying that they are united in their determination to work with Australians as they face this global financial crisis. Members on that side of the House will go back deeply divided, as the cracks in their position already show, with members like the member for McEwen and the member for Menzies not endorsing the foolish strategy being pursued by the Leader of the Opposition. Importantly, members on this side of the House will be able to go back to their communities saying that they are pursuing the national interest, whereas members on that side of the House will go back trying to defend their rank political interest. Members on this side of the House will go back to their local schools able to talk to them about new investments, meaning new jobs, in their local communities. It really does amaze me what members on that side of the House are going to say to those local schools.

To give you some indication of the kinds of twists and turns members on that side of the House are going to have to engage in, I have, of course, received correspondence from members on that side of the House about the circumstances of their local schools—schools they now say should not get a cent from the Building the Education Revolution program. I refer to correspondence from the member for McEwen, who said, ‘Healesville High School is in desperate need of better facilities,’ and I table that correspondence. What is she going to say? I am the minister with a program that you voted against that could assist Healesville High—

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