Rowan Ramsey (Grey, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Education. I refer the minister to the $2 million grant allocated to the Cleve Area School through the so-called Building the Education Revolution. The school was hopeful of building a new primary school. In March the school was expecting eight classrooms for $2 million, in April six classrooms and in May four classrooms. They have now been told their grant will purchase what is described as a collection of transportable classrooms with decking. Is the minister aware that between state government bureaucracy and building contractors the inflation rate for contracts, under the so-called Building the Education Revolution, is 100 per cent per month, somewhere between the inflation rates of Ethiopia and Zimbabwe?

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

I thank the member for his question. To answer this question very clearly, I think he would understand that, with 15,000 projects already agreed to, I do not know off the top of my head the details of every individual project out of 15,000 projects. But I take it that he has asked the question seriously and on that basis I am very happy to work with him directly as to the circumstances of this school. On the question of the guidelines and on-costs—for the member’s information and for members in the House who are concerned about this matter—the Building the Education Revolution guidelines are crystal clear. The administrative costs of states and territories in delivering the program are confined to 1.5 per cent and the project costs of those who are actually out delivering the building projects are confined to four per cent, so 1.5 per cent and then four per cent. Those are the guidelines available on the website for any member to check. If the member is concerned that something is happening in his local community that does not acquit those guidelines, then we would certainly work with him, because the point of view of the federal government is that this program will be delivered within the guidelines. We are working around the country with states and territories and with block grant authorities to ensure that is delivered. Can I say more generally, on the question of Building the Education Revolution, we are always happy to work with local members of parliament who become apprised of problems. But the essential issue here remains that this side of the House voted for $14.7 billion to be invested in schools and in supporting local jobs and the member who asked the question did not.