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

Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. That is the advice I have. I say to the member for Dunkley—as he may well know, being a Victorian—and to the shadow minister: I have conducted a number of principals forums in Victoria. I have met with literally dozens and dozens of principals there to talk about Building the Education Revolution. I have engaged in comparable processes around the country where principals are always welcome to raise individual concerns with me. If it would assist the member I am more than happy to meet with any representative from the school he would like me to meet with. I am happy to travel to the school to discuss the issue with him if he would prefer that.

I say to the member and to members of parliament generally: we are talking about a program, first and foremost, that is delivering more than 24,000 projects in 9,500 schools around the country. We have always said in the delivery of a program of that size and scale—delivered quickly for the very good purpose of supporting jobs today during the global recession and keeping tradespeople, architects and others employed who would not be employed during this global economic downturn but for this expenditure—like any human activity, there will be problems and complaints along the way. I know that the member has worked with this local school. We are obviously happy to work with this local school to address any complaints.

I also say to the member: when I meet with the local school, if that is what he wants me to do, or go to the local school with him, if that is what he wants me to do, it will be incumbent upon him at the same time to say to the local school that when he was asked in this parliament whether he supported them getting one dollar of this resource he voted no.

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