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

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.

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