Roger Price (Chifley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Given that the honourable member for Bowman has raised the National Suicide Prevention Strategy, can I place on record my very deep appreciation to the Minister for Health and Ageing, Mr Abbott. The Shed program has been a tremendous success, catering specifically to men, including Indigenous men, in my electorate. Mr Abbott was able to organise transitional funding of $60,000 over and above the initial grant. He also, with the assistance of his department, made it possible for them to reapply in the next round. So I want to acknowledge this act of the minister and the deep appreciation of those men who have successfully used and are continuing to use the program.

However, I want to raise a much more irritating problem—some may say it is petty, but I think it reflects very poorly on the government—and that is the administration of the Investing in Our Schools program. With any government program, I always go out of my way to ensure everyone in my electorate is aware of it. In this case, I have encouraged the schools to make appropriate applications and get the best advantage for the students in my electorate.

Unhappily, we see again this year the farce where schools in Labor and Independents’ electorates are somehow considered second-class citizens. All the schools in coalition seats that put in successful applications were notified one week ahead of those in Labor seats.

Joanna Gash (Gilmore, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

One day.

Roger Price (Chifley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, one week. I say to the honourable member for Gilmore, who I have a great regard for, ‘Why do it? Aren’t all schoolchildren of equal importance? Why aren’t all schoolchildren treated as being of equal importance?’ In fact, I was not going to mention it, but we contacted the appropriate ministerial office and we were told when it was going out to coalition seats and when we would be notified.

I cannot tell you the stress that puts on schools. Rooty Hill Primary School wanted to put in a first-class submission for their application and they spent $3,000 of their school funds to do so. Why do it—why put this pressure on schools? I say: if we have a national program, like Investing in Our Schools, then we should treat all schools equally. (Time expired)

A division having been called in the House of Representatives—