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

I will check the details. As I say, as recently as last Thursday so-called facts raised by the opposition were wrong. What I can say to the member for Farrer is that in the Building the Education Revolution program administrative expenses of block grant authorities are capped at 1.5 per cent, and program works at four per cent, which is a figure built on what happens in private construction. So that is part of how Building the Education Revolution works. I will look at the specific example she has raised, but I make the following point: if we had followed her lead and the lead of the opposition on economic stimulus then not one school would have got one dollar. In her state of New South Wales more than 16,000 people are on construction sites today because of the provision of economic stimulus. More than 2,700 apprentices and trainees are working today on those construction sites because of the provision of economic stimulus and every school in New South Wales is receiving a benefit. I know, because of how she voted, she is opposed to that—opposed to the jobs, opposed to the apprentices, opposed to the trainees and opposed to the new facilities in schools. She is opposed to every part of it. If she follows what her leader says, what the shadow Treasurer says and what the shadow finance minister says, if she should ever be elected to the government benches she would stop that expenditure immediately and there would be half-wrecked decaying facilities right around the country. But I will check the individual example and get back to the member.

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