Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, representing the Minister for Education. Will the minister update the House on the issue of contested quotes for Building the Education Revolution projects, under the Rudd government’s nation-building economic stimulus plan?

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

I thank the honourable member for Chisholm for her question. Members will be aware that there has indeed been a great deal of misinformation and misreporting about the Building the Education Revolution project, with those on the other side making some hysterical complaints about inflated costs for projects. I know that the member for Paterson certainly voted against investment in his local schools, but I also know that he claims to have a particular interest in Bobs Farm Public School in his electorate. During Senate estimates, Senator Mason raised the issue of Bobs Farm Public School getting a quote for a new classroom for less than $150,000 when the New South Wales department of education quoted a higher price. As we have come to expect, those opposite did not check the facts. They just went out there and made claims and did not check the facts. Actually, it was reported in the media without a checking of the facts as well.

I want to help out, because I have got a copy of the quote that the school received right here. It is dated 30 March 2009 from Australian Portable Buildings for $122,000 for a classroom. As a diligent person acting for the Deputy Prime Minister in the portfolio representing her in the chamber, I wanted to make sure that I checked the facts, because we know that the Minister for Education always checks her facts before she makes any statements before this House. I wanted to know what standard of facility the member for Paterson believes that students at Bobs Farm Public School—not named after him, I must say—should have access to. The quote for a portable classroom of $122,000 leaves a bit out. The quote does not include carpet, heating and cooling, foundations or a ceiling that meets fire safety requirements. There is no furniture, no connection to the sewerage system or stormwater drains or electricity. There is no site preparation—for example, for demolition or sloping work.

Bob Baldwin (Paterson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence Science and Personnel) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I raise a point of order that goes to relevance, Mr Speaker. This was actually raised by the P&C, not by me, so you have no confidence in the P&C—

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

Order! That is not a point of order.

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

There is more missing: it had no railing on the balcony to stop kids falling off; it had no structural or design engineering certifications; it had no fencing safety or security of the site. A terrific quote, this one, for the member for Patterson to go out there and say, ‘This alternative quote is the way to go. This is the way that we can save taxpayers’ money by going down this road.’ But if that did not raise enough questions, on the quote it finishes:

We recommend that all portable buildings be tied down.

It was a tent, not a classroom! They recommended that it be tied down. Once all necessary inclusions were taken into account the New South Wales department of education estimated that the price would increase to $357,000 more than the price that the department was quoting for a similar building.

So I say to those opposite, whether it is emails, whether it is the running down of our education infrastructure projects, whether it is the running down of our rail and road infrastructure projects or our community infrastructure projects through local government: check the facts, compare the quotes, because when you are looking at building infrastructure in our schools for our children, we simply cannot cut corners nor should we take anything for granted.