Gillard should ditch spin and be straight and honest
15th September, 2009
Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Julia Gillard is setting a bad example for local students by not telling the truth about the Liberal and National Parties position on spending on schools, Federal Member for Wide Bay Warren Truss said today.“I was taught by my parents and my teachers to tell the truth. It is disappointing that the Federal Education Minister, Julia Gillard does not follow the same standard,” Mr Truss said.
“Ms Gillard tries to avoid scrutiny by bending the truth about the Liberal and National Parties position on the Federal Government’s school building program, rather than being straight and honest.
“It is regrettable that the Labor State Governments have allowed school facilities, which are a State responsibility, to deteriorate so much they require a Federal $14.1 billion debt funded injection of capital to bring them up to scratch. Yet the State Government is taking a commission off the top of each project and consultancies and fees are scraping billions from the program. Tendering is uncompetitive and out of town builders are generally being given work.
“The school building program has already blown out by $1.7 billion. Interest will be paid on every cost over-run, and every cent paid in administration and project management fees.
“A better designed and managed program could deliver double the buildings for the money that will be spent,” Mr Truss said.
“I am worried about Labor’s $315 billion debt burden on taxpayers now and the tax burden that school students will have to pay once they enter the workforce.”
The points the Liberal and National Parties want the Rudd Labor Government to consider are:
• Schools should have a greater say in how the money is spent according to their individual needs and priorities. Building projects should be tailored to meet the needs of the school.
• Taxpayers deserve value for money. Contracts should be competitive and scrutinised so that taxpayers do not pay over-inflated prices just because the Labor Government is in a hurry to spend the money.
• Buildings should not duplicate and replace existing facilities just for the sake of spending money. The Government should prevent satisfactory classrooms and libraries from being demolished, only to be replaced with new classrooms and libraries.
• State Governments should not be allowed to skim administration and project management fees. The program subsidises State Government responsibility, so State Government should not be allowed to double dip by charging administration and project management fees.
• Local contractors and businesses should be favoured. These funds should be used to support jobs in local communities, not labour brought in from big cities.
• Self promotion signs costing $3.8 million will be charged to taxpayers under the program.
“Every Question Time these issues are raised, and Ms Gillard fails to provide an answer. As a Minister she should be more concerned about the expenditure of taxpayers’ money than spin.”
So many complaints have been received about the implementation of the Rudd Labor Government’s school building program that it is now being investigated by the Auditor General.
“It is extraordinary that a program should be subject to a comprehensive investigation while it is still in the process of being rolled out, such is the alarm about this program,” Mr Truss said.
“I have no hesitation in working to achieve better schools in Wide Bay, so long as they are what the local school community want, and represent value for money for taxpayers.”
