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

Thank you very much, Mr Speaker, and can I say that I think the sensitivity displayed just then by the opposition shows an important point to the parliament, which is: the member has approached the dispatch box to ask about one school. But of course what he does not want to be reminded of is that he voted against resources going to every school in this country: he voted against resources going to the 72 schools in his electorate, he voted against resources going to schools in my electorate, he voted against resources going to schools in National Party electorates, he voted against resources going to schools in the electorates of independents—every school in this country. He came into this parliament and he put up his hand and he said, ‘When it comes to spending money on schools, I say no.’ And, in line with that kind of philosophy, apparently the member for Wide Bay is now saying the summit of his political career will be to come into this place and to say, ‘$250,000 that could be spent on a school should not be spent on a school.’ That is the summit of his political career, apparently.

The government will work with the Queensland education authorities as this consultation process goes through. We will work with any suggestions about alternative uses of that money. If an alternative use is identified, I will then come into the parliament and I will ask the member for Wide Bay—if we have identified a school that needs that money—to walk up to the dispatch box and say, ‘I do not support that school getting that money.’

Of course, this shows the sleight of hand across the board by the opposition about Building the Education Revolution. We have the shadow Treasurer, known for his sloppiness and his inability to think logically, out there saying, ‘Cut the program; take money out of schools.’ The member for Sturt, who is only known for part-time work, at least had the wit—

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