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

I thank the member for Page for her question. I know that she is deeply concerned about investing in schools in her community so that every child can get a great education and investing to support jobs, particularly during these difficult days of the global financial crisis and global recession. On this side of the House, we stand for delivering a strong economy so people can get jobs and for investing in the services that families need, making sure families get their fair share, and there is nothing more important than the quality of the local school to which their child goes.

Last week we saw some of the results of our investment in jobs with a 5.2 per cent unemployment rate. This rate has been achieved because, when faced with the global financial crisis, we did what had to be done to keep Australia working. If we had listened to the Leader of the Opposition, we would not have provided economic stimulus. We would be in recession now and hundreds of thousands of more Australians would be unemployed. Let us look at the statistics. Building the Education Revolution itself was responsible for 32 per cent of the value of non-residential building approvals over the year to April 2010—that is, a third of non-residential economic activity was from Building the Education Revolution. If the Leader of the Opposition had his way, this would be brought to a shuddering halt—a third of economic activity in that sector, a third of jobs under threat from the Leader of the Opposition.

It is about jobs, but it is also about investing in schools. If we look at what has been funded up to the end of April 2010, Building the Education Revolution has funded 3,052 new classrooms, 3,017 libraries, 2,822 multipurpose halls, 289 science centres, 179 language centres and 78 dual-purpose centres. In northern New South Wales, about which I am asked, in the electorate of Cowper Building the Education Revolution has funded 23 libraries, 30 new classrooms, 17 multipurpose halls, four language centres and five science centres. All of this is under threat from the Leader of the Opposition. When he was asked whether, as Prime Minister, he would guarantee the same quantum of funding for Building the Education Revolution he said, in the language of the Leader of the Opposition—you can tell that—‘Well, look, um, ah, I’m not going to give you that absolute commitment.’ That is the gospel truth for, ‘There will be cutbacks and these projects will not be delivered.’

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