Daryl Melham (Banks, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise tonight to place on the public record the views of the electors of Banks in a matter that affects all of us. In July this year, I distributed a survey asking my constituents their views on education. Overwhelmingly, they said that quality teaching was their No. 1 priority. They also saw trades training and vocational education streams as a very important    part of the learning process for our children. They stated their concern about resources and assistance for students with disabilities.

In October, I outlined for my constituents the massive investment that this government has made in education in Banks—an unprecedented figure. Madam Speaker, you can see the map of Banks, with the schools noted on it. Since 2007, the government has invested just under $89 million in the local schools in Banks, across a range of programs—and I know that is repeated in every electorate across the country. The programs are: National School Pride; Primary Schools for the 21st Century; Science and Language Learning Centres for 21st Century Secondary Schools; integration of information and communication technology; Solar Schools Program; and National Asian Languages and Studies in Schools Program. In addition, over 5,000 computers have been provided to local schools. There can be no doubt that this Labor government is committed to the future of our children through education and, more than that, prepared to fund that future through investment.

With my constituents, I was dismayed by the O'Farrell government announcement that education funding in New South Wales would be reduced. I received a number of phone calls and emails about the matter, as well as hearing firsthand from people as I moved around the electorate. I then decided to gauge that concern. Consequently, I sent out a petition to the majority of my electorate, printed it in my newsletter and also put the petition on my website. In my 22 years experience, the results have been, to say the least, overwhelming. The Holsworthy airport petition, when the then Howard government was proposing to build an airport at Holsworthy, was another one that was overwhelming. These are the petitions that I have received to date, and they are still coming in.

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