Steven Ciobo (Moncrieff, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am pleased to rise to talk about the delivery of an outstanding program in my electorate of Moncrieff. I am exceptionally pleased at the performance of the Howard government’s Investing in Our Schools program. This program has delivered—as I had the pleasure of announcing in the past week—over $1 million in additional capital funding to schools, both public and private, in my electorate. Let us not lose sight of the reason why the Howard government is investing this $1 billion in local state schools and private schools. It is because state Labor governments have walked away from their responsibility to make adequate capital payments to state schools to ensure that their facilities remain at a level that communities can be proud of.

I am a very big supporter of the $1 billion Howard government Investing in Our Schools program. I am delighted at the fact that Ashmore State School, Bellevue Park State School, Benowa State School, Broadbeach State School, Miami State School, Nerang State High School, Nerang State School, Surfers Paradise State School and William Duncan State School received a combined total of $994,960 under the Howard government’s Investing in Our Schools program. I personally telephoned all the school principals—and acting principals, in a couple of instances—to let them know that, thanks to this $1 million Howard government investment in their state schools, there would now be money made available to those school communities to pay for airconditioning of classrooms, upgrades of ICT equipment, refurbishment of classrooms, refurbishment of halls, the construction of shade structures and courts and various grounds upgrades and oval irrigation at schools.

These are all the kinds of projects that school P&Cs have told me that they desperately need in their schools, because the state Labor government has dropped the ball when it comes to funding these kinds of vital services. That is the reason why this funding from the Commonwealth government exists. That is the reason why, as I said, I personally telephoned the various principals to let them know the good news, as well as writing to the P&C associations—to let them know that the Commonwealth government, through prudent economic management, has been able to save $8 billion a year thanks to paying off Labor’s $96 billion debt, and that money is flowing directly into programs like this, which makes a real difference at a grassroots level for those schools.

In addition, I was pleased to announce funding to two local independent schools. In particular, I was pleased to advise the Emmanuel College of Carrara that the Howard government was providing through the Investing in Our Schools program some $67,500 for the construction of a shaded area for meals and gatherings for their students. Similarly, I was pleased to announce to the principal of the Southport School, Mr Greg Wain, that the Howard government was contributing $60,000 in capital infrastructure for airconditioning of classrooms.

The fact is that airconditioning of classrooms remains a very crucial component of making sure that schools provide a good learning environment to their young pupils. Airconditioning of classrooms is absolutely crucial in a state like Queensland, especially over those exceptionally hot summer months. I am pleased that this money means that students will be now able to learn in airconditioned classrooms, not be distracted by the heat—not be forced to stop learning because they need to have some respite from the heat that often exists over a Queensland summer.

I am very grateful, too, at the response that I have had from P&Cs when I have told them the news. I was delighted to personally attend Broadbeach State School and announce to the assembly there the allocation of their $150,000 in funding. I must say, having spoken with the P&C president of Broadbeach State School, I got a very clear indication of just how grateful that school community was to have this $150,000 go into their school. That is a lot of lamingtons in a lamington drive, and I am pleased that the money that they raised from various school funding initiatives can now be put to other uses, over and above the $150,000 that Broadbeach State School is going to receive.

I am very pleased that this $1 billion Investing in Our Schools program is available. I intend to continue making sure that schools that may have missed out this time have the opportunity to get access to this program in the future. I will continue making sure that the Howard government’s program has the greatest opportunity possible to remain in place for as long as possible. We will do that through careful economic management.