House debates Questions without Notice
Schools: Computers
Tony Smith Casey, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training
2:44 pm
My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister.
Kevin Rudd Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister
Mr Rudd interjecting
Tony Smith Casey, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training
I would not laugh, Prime Minister. We know that Julia cooked the hot dog.
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Honourable Members:
Harry Jenkins Speaker
Order! The member for Casey will resume his seat. Members on both sides are not assisting.
Christopher Pyne Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister Assisting the Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship
Mr Pyne interjecting
Harry Jenkins Speaker
Order! The member for Sturt is denying the member for Casey the call.
Tony Smith Casey, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training
Can the Deputy Prime Minister confirm that, as was revealed in Senate estimates today, she still has not attempted to calculate, or even estimate, the additional costs of actually implementing the government’s computers in schools policy? Deputy Prime Minister, doesn’t this prove that your computers in schools initiative was a plan designed to last only until election day?
Julia Gillard Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Prime Minister
I am glad to see that the shadow minister for education finally got a question. He is no longer the Marcel Marceau of Australian politics. I was looking forward to that miming of eating an apple later on in the session. We are obviously going to miss out on that. But, if he is going to routinely get questions in the future, I think he is going to have to up the quality. No wonder the shadow ministry tactics committee has been holding him back, with the calibre of questions like that.
Tony Smith Casey, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training
Mr Anthony Smith interjecting
Harry Jenkins Speaker
Order! The member for Casey will assist by not repeating his question—he has now asked it—and by not interjecting. The Deputy Prime Minister will now respond to the question.
Julia Gillard Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Prime Minister
I certainly will, Mr Speaker. I was just hoping to offer a little bit of encouragement along the way. On the question that the member asks about computers in schools, the government’s policy is absolutely clear. We are delivering now a $1.2 billion investment in computers in schools. Have a look at the budget papers; you will see it there. That $1.2 billion investment in schools includes $100 million which will be delivered before the end of this financial year. On the question of the partnership with the states ensuring that computers are in settings where they can be used, at the last meeting of the Ministerial Council for Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs, MCEETYA, a resolution was adopted unanimously by the ministers who met there on partnership and cooperation about the digital education revolution. Of course, what the government is trying to achieve here—which is something, I understand, that members opposite must be opposed to from the way that they are calling out—is to invest in upper secondary schools, years 9 to 12, to ensure—
Tony Smith Casey, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training
Mr Speaker, a point of order on relevance: the question was whether the minister could—
Harry Jenkins Speaker
Order! I know what the question was. The member for Casey will resume his seat.
Julia Gillard Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Prime Minister
To conclude my answer: the government’s program is being delivered. All I can conclude from the antics of members opposite is that they are opposed to students in years 9 to 12 learning with digital education technology. If one looked at their track record in government, what one would see is 12 years of neglect of the need to ensure that students are learning in 21st century classrooms. This is a government that is committed to that process and is investing $1.2 billion in getting the job done.