John Murphy (Lowe, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Education, Employment and Workplace Relations and Social Inclusion. Will the Deputy Prime Minister update the House on recent media reports about the Building the Education Revolution Program?

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

I thank the member for Lowe for his question. I know that he would be very supportive of the 559 economic stimulus plan projects in his electorate totalling more than $61 million. I know that he is a man who is very much in touch with his local schools and a frequent visitor to them. He would be delighted to see that 42 of his local schools are receiving more than $53 million through Building the Education Revolution—the biggest school modernisation program the country has ever seen.

Before I came to question time, the member for Higgins—I note that he is not here now—was giving a press conference where he regretted that there was not enough humour in question time in the modern age. My mind has gone back to a comedy show on television called Not the Nine O’Clock News. What I am hoping is that I might be able to reprise that comedy show on the basis of not what is in the Australian today about Building the Education Revolution. And on what is not in the Australian today, people may have seen reports in the Australian today about Holland Park State School. It is a great school in the electorate of the Prime Minister.

In reading that report today in the Australian newspaper people may have come to the conclusion that there was a problem with this program. Let me just clarify it for members of the House. Under Primary Schools for the 21st Century, Holland Park State School has been approved funding of $1½ million for the construction of a new library, which was identified by the school as a priority, and a further $1½ million to extend and refurbish the existing multipurpose hall with new office and kitchen facilities, including seating, staging, sound and light facilities.

I understand that there were some critical comments made by a community member about this plan, and they are reported in today’s Australian, and of course the Australian will report things said to it. I note that the principal of this school, Mr Anthony Gribbin, has sent the following statement about the school’s view of the project. He says, somewhat informally:

Dear, Kevin

The school community is delighted by its successful application for funding under the second round of the Primary Schools for the 21st Century—Building the Education Revolution.

Holland Park State School will receive a once-in-a-lifetime enhancement of its facilities with improved interactive technology for all students and teachers, a new library and refurbished hall. These facilities will help us deliver quality education to all our students, providing them with a secure foundation for the future.

The school is currently in the planning stages with Education Queensland and it is expected that the approved projects will be ready for the start of the 2010 school year.

These facilities will also benefit the wider community, as they will be accessible for community training programs, meetings or workshops.

I thought that was a pretty glowing endorsement.

On the question of endorsements, my attention was also drawn today to the words of the former Prime Minister when asked about the member for Higgins. He said only 10 words:

I wish Peter well, but I have no further statement.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I raise a point of order. My point of order is obvious. How could this possibly be relevant to the answer that the minister is giving about the so-called Building the Education Revolution. I ask you to draw her back to the question.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat. I will be listening very carefully to how the material is related to the question. The Deputy Prime Minister will respond to the question.

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

I must admit that I did not think I would ever live to see the day when a Liberal member of parliament would not want me to quote former Prime Minister John Howard. It is a very unusual turn of events.

Wilson Tuckey (O'Connor, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What’s this got to do with education?

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

I was referring, of course, to his 10 words today about the member for Higgins—that is, one for each two years in parliament and one for each budget that the member for Higgins delivered. Of course, we suspect that is probably more than the former Prime Minister said to the member for Higgins in the last five years.

Wilson Tuckey (O'Connor, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker—

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for O’Connor will resume his seat.

Wilson Tuckey (O'Connor, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I beg your pardon!

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Deputy Prime Minister will respond to the question.

Wilson Tuckey (O'Connor, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have the right to a point of order.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for O’Connor will resume his seat! Given that the member for O’Connor has been interjecting for the whole time since the last point of order, he would understand that there is a bit of a two-way street. If he will now sit in silence, the Deputy Prime Minister will relate her comments to the question. There can be only one reason that the member for O’Connor would rise, and that would be on relevance. The Deputy Prime Minister will respond to the question.

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

The question was about Building the Education Revolution; the question was about endorsements. I have obviously talked about the strong endorsement of the projects in the Prime Minister’s electorate. The government will continue delivering Building the Education Revolution. I understand that it is opposed every step of the way by members opposite, but we will deliver this program in the interests of jobs today and Australian education tomorrow—which, as you can tell by the interjections, is something the opposition care absolutely nothing about.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Education. I refer the minister to the guidelines for the schools stimulus debacle, specifically:

The Commonwealth reserves the right to refuse funding to a state or territory that releases information publicly about BER projects prior to the Commonwealth’s approval of projects.

That has been interpreted by many school principals and governing council chairs across Australia as meaning that their school will lose funding if they make public comment about their serious concerns with the schools stimulus debacle. Will the minister amend the guidelines and guarantee that no school principal or governing council member will suffer repercussions as a result of its representatives criticising the government?

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

I can answer the member’s question very simply: no, we will not be amending the guidelines. We will be awaiting an apology from the Liberal Party for the standover tactics that used to be used in relation to Investing in Our Schools recognition ceremonies—

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on a point of order: I take great exception to being accused of standover tactics. I ask that those words be withdrawn as they are offensive.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I have said from time to time, whilst there are many robust things that are said, that has been the nature of this place for many years.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order on a different matter. Under standing order 90 the imputation of improper motives is specifically ruled out by the standing orders. I put it to you that being accused of mafia style standover tactics, particularly given the situation in Melbourne yesterday, is offensive and I demand that it be withdrawn.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is no point of order. The Deputy Prime Minister will respond to the question.

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

Mr Speaker, if it would assist the House, I withdraw. And I freely acknowledge the member for Sturt—

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Pyne interjecting

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The Deputy Prime Minister will resume her seat. Yet again we have commentary from the Manager of Opposition Business about rulings. I am not sure why he thinks that he has this ability to continue quarrels with the chair.

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Because you might change your view!

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, I doubt it. I will happily, regrettably, defend his ability to raise proper points of order. But, once they are dealt with, I expect him to sit there in relative silence—because I have learnt that there will be no way I can get him to sit there in silence. The question has been asked. We are 31 seconds into the response.

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

Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. As I indicated, I do withdraw—and, of course, it is more squeak than standover when it comes to the member for Sturt.

On the question of Building the Education Revolution, I think a very important point has been raised by the member for Sturt—that is, the point about the guidelines. Our guidelines ensure that schools right around the country, all schools, will benefit from Building the Education Revolution. Yesterday evening I was with the member for Sturt in the Main Committee, where the member for Sturt interestingly talked about the ‘targeting’ of Building the Education Revolution. He said:

There are schools that already have very substantial infrastructure, have everything that a school could really want for its pupils—

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order under standing order 104. I asked about gagging, not about targeting of spending.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! There is no point of order. There are other avenues, as the Manager of Opposition Business knows, for him to address that concern, but it is not a point of order.

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

My point simply goes to the question of guidelines. I will ask the member for Sturt to clarify at some time, for the House and for the Australian people, exactly which schools he thinks should miss out under Building the Education Revolution. I am very interested that the only education policy of the opposition is that they would seek better targeting of a program they do not support. Their education policy is, apparently, that they would better target nothing! That is what they would do in government. They would engage in better targeting of nothing, because they voted against Building the Education Revolution.

On the question raised by the member for Sturt, when he wants to come and apologise for things like Liberal staff members employed by state members of parliament being invited to address Investing in Our Schools recognition ceremonies above local Labor members, then we will be all ears.