Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Education. Were the guidelines for Building the Education Revolution conveniently made more flexible, changed or ignored for Eatons Hill State School to suit Anna Bligh and the member for Petrie in the midst of the Queensland state election campaign?

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

It really does strike me as extraordinary that members opposite cannot understand the following basic things. Of course there are guidelines for all of the Building the Education Revolution program—for the programs for primary schools, for the programs for secondary schools and for the National School Pride program. Those guidelines are the same across the country. The member for Petrie mentioned yesterday to me how she had resolved a problem at a local school, covered by the member for Dickson. I think you will find, Member for Sturt, if you ask many members on this side of the parliament, that they are out there talking to their local schools, helping with getting information out there and helping with getting applications in. In my own electorate I have had a meeting of the principals of every local school to talk through—

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Pyne interjecting

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

Order! The member for Sturt has asked his question.

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

the program. I attended a principals forum, for example, in the member for Oxley’s electorate to talk through with principals the way the program works. Members on this side of the House: (1) believe in this program, the biggest school modernisation program in the nation’s history, (2) because we understand the economic stimulus effects, want this program to roll out quickly to support jobs across right across the country; and (3) understand that when you are engaged in the biggest school modernisation program this nation has ever seen and you want to roll it out quickly for the economic stimulus and job-supporting effects, people need the information and they need the assistance. Properly, the member for Petrie provided that in the electorate of the member for Dickson to assist a school with a local problem.

I understand that a desperate opposition want to make a cheap political point about this, led as they are by an opportunist. But before they go down this track too far, I will draw their attention to that great journal of record the North-West News. The front page from the most recent addition is headed up ‘Hill race for hall’. I will quote Mr Knox, whom I understand is the LNP candidate in the local area. Mr Knox said:

We are working hard to try and resolve it for them, they have been working on this project since 2004 and it is ready to go.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order on relevance. The minister was asked a very specific question about whether the guidelines for the BER were ignored, whether they were changed or whether they were made more flexible. The member for Petrie, who is looking a bit wan today—

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

Order! The member for Sturt will resume his seat. The Deputy Prime Minister has the call.

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

Given the questions of so-called political interference that have been raised by the opposition, I think the words of the LNP candidate in the Queensland election are probably very relevant. Mr Knox goes on to say:

If I were Mr Rudd I would be keen to support a project that is ready to go.

Who is ready to support a project that is ready to go? Mr Knox is, the member for Petrie is and this side of the House is. The member for Dickson is not because he does not want this school to get assistance, and every member over there is opposed to investing in their schools in the biggest school modernisation program this country has ever seen. How amazing!