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

A minister—finance minister, I recall—of the previous government, the highest taxing government in Australia’s history, providing any lecture on fiscal conservatism is remarkable. The projects concerned formed part of the government’s school modernisation program. I noticed from the tone of the question from the shadow minister for education that he is deeply disappointed by the contents of the APPA report. The APPA report has a number of observations within it, including the following: 97 per cent of principals said students would benefit from the Primary Schools for the 21st Century program; 96 per cent of students would benefit from the National School Pride Program; 90 per cent of principals agreed that the projects undertaken matched community needs; et cetera. This has been a remarkably successful program right across the country.

Only last week I was in the electorate of the member for Deakin, opening the new library at the School of St Luke the Evangelist. I listened very carefully to the teachers, the local priest and others talking about them having something decent added to their school for the first time in decades and decades. I also went outside and looked at what had happened via the improvement program which had funded the astroturfing of an oval that had previously been completely unusable due to there not being enough water to have grass there. For the first time, the kids can go out there and not have their knees skinned if they fall over once. These stories are being repeated across the nation in the 24,000 projects that are underway under the Building the Education Revolution program.

This government is proud of the school modernisation program. This government is proud of the libraries that are being built across Australia. We are proud of the fact that we are adding science centres across Australia. We are proud of the fact that we are also assisting local school communities deal with needs that have been banking up year after year. The government has looked carefully at the Audit Office’s report. The Deputy Prime Minister has taken note of its recommendations. The government will continue to implement these projects.

I would like to say something to the shadow minister for education and the Leader of the Opposition while they are together in this chamber. On the one hand, the Leader of the Opposition says that he will cancel all stimulus.

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