Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Hansard source

The government’s economic stimulus plan is designed to create jobs across the country. We expect all projects to achieve value for money, including using local contractors and tradespeople, with priority given to those who are willing to employ apprentices and trainees. It does not matter where the head contractor is based. What matters is where the work is actually done. Investments from Building the Education Revolution are designed to support as many jobs in as many communities and as quickly as possible. The suggestions from those opposite about how the program might work better are sheer hypocrisy. They did not want it to happen at all. They still do not support this project. This is a historic program. It is meeting the urgent needs of school communities right across Australia. You would have expected the opposition to support this, but all we have heard is their opposition coming through.