Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. I refer to the minister’s decision to fund noise insulation for Fort Street High School in his electorate at a cost of $14.5 million, or almost five times the Labor Party’s election commitment. Will the minister provide funding to insulate all other public buildings in Sydney and Adelaide within the same aircraft noise envelope as Fort Street High School in his electorate?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On 19 November last year I did visit Fort Street High School with my colleague the member for Batman, the shadow minister for transport. There we reiterated Labor’s commitment to provide insulation for the kids at Fort Street High School. Those on this side of the House take the education revolution seriously. Part of giving young people the opportunity to have a proper education is making sure that their classes do not get disrupted every two or three minutes when planes go across.

Fort Street High School is at Taverners Hill. It is called Taverners Hill for a reason: because it is on a hill—it is up high. It is particularly affected by aircraft noise, which is why we—through the then shadow minister for transport, the member for Melbourne—promised in 1998, in 2001, in 2004 and in 2007 to provide insula-tion.

We on this side of the House take all of our commitments to the Australian public seriously. We did not come in and say, ‘We have core and non-core promises,’ like those opposite did. We take all of our commitments seriously. That is why we gave support to insulate Fort Street High School. The fact is that Fort Street High School is an old school. It is a heritage building—just like a similar school down the road, Newington, insulated at a cost of $15.5 million in 1995-96 dollars. That is over $20 million in today’s terms. But I think that is reasonable because I do not think that aircraft noise discriminates between public schools and private schools. I do not think how wealthy you are should determine that. That is why, when they were chairs—

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Finance, Competition Policy and Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I raise a point of order on relevance. The question was: why have they got five times more than what they asked for?

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member will resume his seat. The minister is answering the question.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Speaker. That is why when they were chairs of the Sydney Airport Community Forum, if they go back and look at their files, the member for Bradfield and the member for North Sydney were both supportive—to their credit—of expanding the insulation scheme. Just as last Friday, when the member for Cook, who has asked this question, moved a motion, guess who voted for it? The representatives of the member for Bradfield, the member for North Sydney and the member for Wentworth all asked for an expansion of the insulation scheme at the Sydney Airport Community Forum last Friday—just three days ago.

They have lost the plot on this issue, because they also raised this at Senate estimates last week and Senator McGauran made an interesting contribution. Remember, he is the guy who was a Nat and is now a Lib. He has got ahead of the amalgamation game: he has been in both in one term. This is what Senator McGauran had to say about Fort Street High School:

... it is one of the most prestigious and expensive schools in Sydney, and it is not willing to contribute a dollar ...

He said this was a ‘very wealthy school’ and he went on to say:

... this is quite a high profile private school. It can meet at least ... some of its costs ...

Public schools get funded through taxation. This is a public school. It deserves insulation, just as Newington deserved insulation—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Has the minister concluded his answer?

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister has concluded.