Andrew Laming (Bowman, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I know that the Prime Minister elect has referred to rescuing a government that had lost its way, but I remind Australians that what we have in Prime Minister elect Gillard is a minister who has walked out on a ministry that lost its way years ago. We know about the Building the Education Revolution—we know about the $5 billion that disappeared into the pockets of state governments, project managers and assorted spivs. We know about the $1.7 billion that was sold by Prime Minister elect Gillard as an expansion of the program but was just another blow-out. We know that only 30 per cent of those school laptops have been delivered, and that so many of the children waiting on that election promise of 2007 are yet to touch and feel a laptop. We know that only 13 of the 2,650 trades training centres have even been built. Parents, promised so much more, have seen so little from this Prime Minister elect. And, finally, only 38 of the 260 promised childcare centres have actually been delivered, and that means that every childcare centre in the area of Redlands secretly fears a ‘Julia Gillard memorial childcare centre’ right next to their own. It is a dreadful predicament we are left in with education—and this is a Prime Minister who promises a fairer go.

But don’t just believe me. Once again, I have asked anyone who is not a party member who wishes to communicate with me on Facebook to have their say, and here they are. Glenn Irvine from Capalaba says:

There is a name for someone who one day categorically denies leadership intentions, and the next, stages a coup for that leadership… it is called “Raw Ambition” …

From Gabby Lewis:

Rudd was not bad! he was doing fine! Gillard is bad! just because she is a woman people think she will do better i strongly disagree

Kerry Stewart-Haynes says:

Not isolated to one person or party … A whole lot of snivelling and backstabbing, it seems to me.

Andrew Darvall of Thorneside says:

I believe Australians are switched on enough to see this for what it is. A blatant re-establishment of the time-honoured tradition of unions manipulating the strings of Australian parliament and government as a whole.

I vote no to Puppet Julia.

Amy Lorraine Thirlwell from Cleveland says:

It is not fair that it wasn’t a full vote! They can’t just decide to change it with only 100 odd people voting.

She says that Rudd was doing just fine.

From Capalaba, Michelle Welch writes:

I agree with Amy on this, and as Rudd said everyone learns from there mistakes, he does too, and other pass ones just ignore there mistakes they make.

From Gabby Lewis:

We don’t want ms gillard in charge …

Tatia Power from Alexandra Hills says:

Pleased to see a woman PM, but ready for an election to let the public vote

From Brad McElhinney:

stick with Rudd hes doing a great job

From Bianca Stubbs:

I’ve always voted Liberal but I think this could shake things up …

From Ed Burnett, in Cleveland:

Good luck getting re-elected with Gillard in charge!

From Stacey Fels, in Thornlands:

i agree with gabby, we need rudd back, and as for MR SWAN we wont start on that.

From Lauren Doyle in Capalaba:

Gillard is a smart woman, Let her have a chance to show Australia what she can do

From Julia Filkorn:

Rudd was bad, Gillard s worse, just because she is a woman doesn’t mean she is any better, can’t wait for the next election …

We have Rebecca Budge from Alexandra Hills:

Love Kevin rudd, he was doing a wounderful job

From Hannah Riall:

having a female pm should have been a momentous event but gillard wasnt elected, should have stuck with kevin rudd

From Peter Marer:

Who inspires our kids today? Union factions are not a great example of what kids need to aspire to

Matt Aubrey:

… many professionals are worried about the amount of muscle that has been shown by the AWU. Many support the decision to oust the duddster however are scared and shocked that the unions had so much power over the situation … just a thought to chew on.

There you see a very clear message from my local people. Many are concerned that we are returning to a period of ‘bash of the boss’, a Robin Hood period where anything that is good for Labor is automatically fairer. Ordinary people in my electorate have not been well served in the last two years. They are tired of those promises and they know you could not slide a piece of paper between Prime Minister elect Gillard and Kevin Rudd. She is behind all of those same mistakes. For her to foist them on the previous Prime Minister is disappointing to the electors in my area. To see her again mouth the mantra of toughness on borders without a clue as to how to deliver it shows that she is just another potential Labor leader who walks down one side of the street trying to keep her Labor members happy and then down the other side trying to talk tough to the general population.

What she is doing is leaving Education behind, in a mess, to take up the reins of the country. I suspect that the people of Redlands will not forget that. Whether you send your kids to child care but you have had your indexation frozen, or you have had the rebates capped or cut and the prices for child care go up, you will not forget the previous responsibilities of Prime Minister elect Gillard. If you are going to school and you have not seen laptop computers or you have them but they are not insured or there is no broadband on which to run them, you know to blame Prime Minister elect Julia Gillard. And, if you are waiting for a trades training centre but there is not even a lathe in your school, then you know you need to blame this Prime Minister elect, Julia Gillard.