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

I hear the opposition calling out about past government programs, but this is an investment of more than half a billion dollars in literacy and numeracy. Of course, Literacy and Numeracy Week is not just for children in schools. It is for all Australians, and Australian adults can win prizes by answering the question: what are you reading today? I am very happy to answer the question: what am I reading today? Because today I had the great pleasure of going to Chapman Primary School here in the ACT to read to the grade 4 students a children’s book called Little Beauty, which is the tale of a gorilla and cat that, despite their differences, learn to live together and to strike up a friendship that endures during troubled times. It is a lesson in life, and I am more than happy to make copies of it available to members of the Liberal Party if they think that they would learn something from it.

But of course it is a little bit disappointing that we have not had answers from those opposite about what they are reading today. I am particularly distressed that the member for Higgins, who has such interest in literacy and numeracy, is not here to answer the question: what is he reading today?

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