Janelle Saffin (Page, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Education and Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations and Minister for Social Inclusion. Will the Deputy Prime Minister please update the House on the government’s record investment in our schools and are there any threats to this funding, particularly for the communities of northern New South Wales?

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

Patrick Secker (Barker, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on a point of order: this goes to House of Representatives Practice on page 490 where it is considered very bad behaviour by parliamentarians to mimic other MPs.

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

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

Order! Despite the mirth that was the response to the point made by the member for Barker, he is correct and all of the House might pay heed to the lesson that he has taught them.

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

Thanks to the member for Barker for that critique of my skills—that was very impressive. Beyond these threats to projects under Building the Education Revolution, there is a threat to computers in schools. We as a government have delivered more computers, and had them installed, during the 2½ years of the life of this government than kids in years 9 to 12 had at the end of 12 years of the Howard government—300,000 installed, 210,000 at the end of 12 years of government. What this means in the electorate of Cowper is that we funded 5,241 new computers and delivered 3,972 of them. If the Leader of the Opposition has his way, there will be no more computers for kids in that area.

Then when it comes to trade training centres, of course we have been benefiting schools around the country—230 projects benefiting 732 schools. But if the Leader of the Opposition has his way then 1,800 schools will not be able to benefit from our Trade Training Centres in Schools Program, getting real skills for real jobs. What that means in Cowper is that, if the Leader of the Opposition had his way, the $4.5 million project benefiting Macksville High School and the trade training centre there, which is being participated in by Bowraville Central and Nambucca Heads high schools, would not go ahead. The $1.5 million project for Bellingen High School’s trade training centre would not go ahead—real kids losing out on real opportunities because of the conduct of the Leader of the Opposition. This is extreme policy making aimed at education, aimed at kids. I am still looking for a member of the opposition who will stand up for their local community and tell the Leader of the Opposition he is wrong. The member for Cowper most certainly is not one.