Ken Ticehurst (Dobell, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Minister for Education, Science and Training. Would the minister inform the House how schools are benefiting from the government’s Investing in Our Schools program. Has the minister received any feedback on the effectiveness of the program?

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women's Issues) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Dobell for his question and acknowledge his keen interest in education in his electorate. The Australian government’s $1 billion Investing in Our Schools program is designed to provide funding for smaller scale projects for necessary infrastructure for schools. This program has become necessary because of the chronic neglect by state Labor governments of state government schools.

There are state government schools that have been waiting years for some of the most basic amenities to be funded. To put it in context, there are about 6,900 state government schools across Australia. Just in the first two rounds—rounds 1 and 2—of the Investing in Our Schools program there have been over 8,000 applications for funding from the federal government for state government schools. In round 3 there are now 10,000 applications from state government schools to the federal government. That is almost three applications per government school—per state government school—to the Australian government.

The sorts of projects for which they are seeking funding are things like fixing up vermin infested sports sheds, fixing up threadbare carpets and fixing up canteens that have failed to meet state government health department standards, yet state governments are doing nothing to invest in their schools. You would have thought that perhaps the state Labor governments would be shamed into doing something about it but, according to the Sunday Telegraph of 9 July, the New South Wales state government will spend more money on buying new cars for public servants than on upgrading schools this financial year. You would think that members opposite would be slamming the state Labor governments for failing to properly invest in state government schools.

Sharon Bird (Cunningham, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Ms Bird interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Cunningham.

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women's Issues) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

But, no, the members opposite—

Sharon Bird (Cunningham, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Ms Bird interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Cunningham is warned!

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women's Issues) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

are complaining to the coalition about funding for state government schools. The member for Charlton wrote to us about sports facilities in a government school in her electorate. She said:

The current facilities are inadequate, impractical and unsafe ...

This is in a state government school. So under round 1 of the Investing in Our Schools program the Howard government provided the $50,000. The member for Chifley wrote to us about a lack of air conditioning in a school in his electorate, a state government school. He said:

This is having an adverse effect on students’ health and their ability to concentrate.

He goes on:

The students inform me they suffer headaches, dehydration, nosebleeds as a result of the school’s lack of airconditioning.

This is in a state government school. Did he write to the state government? No, he wrote to the Howard government, and we funded it under round 2—$118,000.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Ms Gillard interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The Manager of Opposition Business.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Ms Gillard interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The Manager of Opposition Business is warned!

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women's Issues) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Chisholm has written to me recently about problems caused by flooding because of a leaking roof in a state government school in her electorate.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Ms Burke interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Chisholm.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Ms Burke interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Chisholm is warned!

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Ms Burke interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Chisholm will remove herself from the House under standing order 94(a).

The member for Chisholm then left the chamber.

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women's Issues) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

But the member for Ballarat takes the cake. She is going around her electorate claiming credit for the shambles that the state—

Kim Beazley (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on a point of order: as standing orders require of me, I raise a matter of privilege straightaway. The particular program to which the minister is referring is one which every member of this House, including me and all my colleagues, was written to about by the government asking us to correspond with them—

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

Kim Beazley (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We did not oppose this.

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The leader has the call.

Kim Beazley (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We were asked to correspond with them on issues and concerns amongst schools in our constituencies, particularly state schools in our constituencies, in order to raise those matters with them.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The leader will come to his point.

Kim Beazley (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is a matter of privilege, Mr Speaker. The privilege issue is this: when a minister invites correspondence with herself—or, in this case, the government—from individual members of parliament, is privilege breached when that material is taken into this chamber and presented to it?

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I take note of the request of the Leader of the Opposition. I will take on board the comments, investigate them and report back to the House.

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women's Issues) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

But the member for Ballarat takes the cake. In her newsletter to her electorate, she lists a number—

Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Treasury) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I wish to raise a matter of privilege with you.

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Members on my right.

Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Treasury) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister, in using both correspondence and a newsletter that I have in parliament in this way, is seeking to significantly impede my duty to do my job by communicating with my constituents.

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Ballarat has the right to be heard.

Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Treasury) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

She is significantly impeding my right as a member of this place to communicate with my constituents and to write support letters for government programs to which they are entitled to apply for funding and for which they would expect to be supported by their local member. She is significantly impeding my duty and my ability to do that, and I ask you to call her to order.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Ballarat, I believe, has raised a question of privilege. It is along similar lines to that raised by the Leader of the Opposition. I will investigate it and report back.

Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Treasury) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I ask that if she continues to do that you refer this matter to the Privileges Committee.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have responded to the member for Ballarat’s request.

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women's Issues) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I table the very public letter to some 80,000 voters in the member for Ballarat’s electorate and, in tabling it, I point out that in this newsletter she claims credit for the $4.3 million in funding that has been directed to the Ballarat electorate for state government schools.

Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Treasury) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Ms King interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Ballarat has already been warned.

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women's Issues) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And nowhere in this newsletter is there any mention of the fact that this is Australian government funding under the Investing in Our Schools program for state government schools.

Annette Ellis (Canberra, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Ms Annette Ellis interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Canberra.

Annette Ellis (Canberra, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Ms Annette Ellis interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Canberra is warned!

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women's Issues) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Members opposite ought to be ashamed of the fact that they do not publicly denounce state Labor governments across this country for failing to invest in their schools.

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order!

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Albanese interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order!

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Albanese interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Grayndler will remove himself from the House under standing order 94(a).

The member for Grayndler then left the chamber.

Martin Ferguson (Batman, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Primary Industries, Resources, Forestry and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on a point of order: the member for Grayndler has been removed for an interchange with the Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. I would have thought your approach would have been even-handed. If one is to be excluded for that interchange, so should the other—the minister on the other side of the House. All we seek in this House is an even-handed application of the standing orders.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will respond to the member for Batman because I believe he has raised a serious point. I remind him that the member for Grayndler was warned prior to his being asked to leave the chamber.

Martin Ferguson (Batman, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Primary Industries, Resources, Forestry and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, further to the point of order and your ruling: on that basis I seek your advice as to when you will be warning, in an even-handed fashion, the minister for Indigenous affairs.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I remind the member for Batman that I have not made a ruling and that 94(a) is not a ruling—it is a case of upholding the standing orders. I think I can say that at all times I endeavour to uphold the standing orders fairly.

Martin Ferguson (Batman, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Primary Industries, Resources, Forestry and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on a further point of order: if that is the case, that you seek to apply the standing orders in an even-handed fashion, I seek your advice in a similar vein as to when you will appropriately, in accordance with the standing orders and in accordance with your duties and responsibilities to all members of this House, warn the minister for Indigenous affairs.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think the member for Batman has made his point, and I have responded to him.