Building the Education Revolution: 18 Jun 2009: House debates (OpenAustralia.org)

House debates

Thursday, 18 June 2009

Questions without Notice

Building the Education Revolution

3:32 pm

Rowan Ramsey (Grey, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Education. Can the minister confirm that the Lake Wangary Primary School on the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia has received a second-round school stimulus debacle grant for $850,000 to construct—

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

Order! I am only interrupting just to illustrate that even in the application of the standing orders this use of the word ‘debacle’, which I have allowed, is outside the standing orders.

Rowan Ramsey (Grey, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will rephrase that, Mr Speaker. Can the minister confirm that the Lake Wangary Primary School on the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia has received a second-round school stimulus grant for $850,000 to construct a new multipurpose hall when the school council chairman has obtained a quote showing the same building could be constructed for just $250,000? Will the minister explain how this represents value for money?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I can certainly confirm two things. I can confirm that this school will be getting funding, because every school will be getting funding, including every school in Grey. And the second thing I can confirm is that the member for Grey voted against it. They are the two things that I can confirm for sure.

Luke Hartsuyker (Cowper, National Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. It is on relevance. Mr Speaker, we can confirm $600,000 is wasted.

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

The member for Cowper will resume his seat. The minister is responding to the question.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, they come in here and they say that they are opposed to spending on these schools, they say that there is waste in these schools, and yet back in their electorates they are out there supporting it. I can confirm that people in the southern part of Australia have said this:

The electorate has also been in the fortunate position to have received a number of federal funding grants to improve and support the local community. Along with funding towards the Wantirna South Sports Complex, over 40 primary and secondary schools as well as special needs educational—

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker—

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

The minister will resume his seat.

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

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

First of all, the minister will resume his seat, the Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat, just for the moment, and the member for Sturt will leave the chamber for one hour under standing order 94(a).

The member for Sturt then left the chamber.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. This circumnavigation of the globe of irrelevance has to stop.

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

The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

He is travelling—

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

The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

all over Australia—

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

The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat!

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was asked a question about Building the Education Revolution; I am giving an answer about Building the Education Revolution and they do not like it. Well, they say they don’t like it, but this is what they say in their newsletters. This is what the member for Aston said in his newsletter: that schools in Aston are beneficiaries of successful applications for federal funding.

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker—

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

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition can only be raising relevance. The minister is responding to the question.

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I would like to make my point of order.

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

No. I am in a position to make a ruling. No, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition will resume her seat.

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to make my point of order.

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

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will resume her seat.

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I would like the opportunity—

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

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will resume her seat.

Fran Bailey (McEwen, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Fran Bailey interjecting

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

She has the opportunity to make the point of order, Member for McEwen. If you have a point of order, you would have an opportunity, too, but you do not have an opportunity to interject, because that is actually against the standing orders. The only point of order that you could be raising is relevance and I have ruled that the minister is responding to the question.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In their newsletters they are actually outlining every school that is getting funding in their electorates and claiming credit for it. That is what they are doing back in their electorates.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

The minister will resume his seat. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will resume her seat and the member for Mackellar will resume her seat.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Mackellar, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop interjecting

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

Excuse me, Member for Mackellar, sometimes I am doing things for absolutely appropriate reasons and they will be revealed, if the member for Mackellar would please resume her seat. Having checked that I had not warned the member for Tangney, the member for Tangney will leave the chamber for one hour under standing order 94(a). He has now allowed me to illustrate that I am putting into practice a precedent set by Speaker Jenkins Sr by his actually displaying a sign with an unparliamentary word.

Dennis Jensen (Tangney, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source