Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women's Issues) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Gilmore for her question and note her interest in this matter. The Australian government is providing some $33 billion for schools across Australia over the 2005-08 period. That is a $12 billion increase on the last funding period. In addition, we are investing some $1 billion under the Investing in Our Schools program to make up for the failure of state and territory governments to properly capitalise on the requirements of schools for things such as playground equipment, classrooms and the like, $700 million of that going to state government schools. This year alone the Australian government is investing some $49.2 million in recurrent funding in the ACT and under the Investing in Our Schools program we have already provided some $7.5 million over recent months to government schools in the ACT.

I am asked about alternative policies. It seems that the Labor Chief Minister’s idea of an education policy is to put the future of young Canberrans in jeopardy by closing some 39 government schools. Through gross mismanagement of the Canberra economy, 39 schools are being closed. It is a disgrace that parents, students and teachers were not notified that 39 government schools are being closed in the ACT. I want to know how Jon Stanhope intends to account to Commonwealth taxpayers for the $7.5 million that has already been paid in recent months under the Investing in Our Schools program to schools that he intends to close. I will ask him: how does he account to the Commonwealth taxpayers for that $7.5 million? Not only is he ruining the Canberra economy but he is burning up Commonwealth taxpayers’ funds. The member for Canberra, the member for Fraser and the Leader of the Opposition, as Jon Stanhope’s mentor, ought to be ashamed that a Labor colleague is closing government schools in the name of an education policy. Not only has he ruined the Canberra economy but he is ruining the Canberra education system and they ought to condemn him for it.

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