Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

The government, since its election, has been committed to the education revolution. The government, since the stimulus strategy of February this year, is committed to building the education revolution through the single largest school modernisation program that this country has ever seen. As a consequence of that, we are out there working with state and territory governments rolling out projects in 7,500 primary schools across the nation. We are rolling out refurbishment programs for classrooms and other facilities within schools across all of Australia’s 10,000 primary and secondary schools, government and non-government. On top of that, we have provided investment for new language centres and new science centres for at least 500 or so of Australia’s 2,500 secondary schools. This is because we believe that the kids of today, who will become the leaders of tomorrow, deserve first-class facilities in which to learn—state-of-the-art libraries, state-of-the-art science centres and state-of-the-art language centres—and because we are interested in preparing our kids for the future.

I notice that those opposite have a variable record on their degree of support for this program. I note in particular the levels of enthusiasm of various members representing the interests of their constituencies. I refer in particular to a recent communication by our good old friend the member for Macarthur to his constituents. I have here a little communication between—

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