Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker—

Sid Sidebottom (Braddon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Sidebottom interjecting

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

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

Order! Those on my right! I am not very thankful to the member for Braddon for starting that breakout, and he is warned.

Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Education, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations and Minister for Social Inclusion. I refer the minister to reports in the press today that the grant of $250,000 to the one-student school at Evesham, under the Primary Schools for the 21st Century program, will follow that child to another school should Evesham State School be closed. Isn’t it the case, as the minister told the House yesterday, that grants were made to every school not on application but as a universal, formula based policy, in which case, when our fortunate one student goes to another school, will that school receive a second grant? Will the money be returned to the taxpayer as a saving, or will it simply be pocketed by the Queensland government?

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

I thank the member for Wide Bay for his question. I note his interest in the Evesham State School, but I also presume he has got an interest in the 72 schools in his electorate that are having 263 projects supported through Building the Education Revolution, at a total investment of $119 million. I also think he might be interested in the fact that, in his electorate, the Noosa Christian College Principal, Ross Reid, said the following on 27 May 2009, about Building the Education Revolution—

Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order on relevance. The question was about the Evesham State School, not about a whole series of other schools that the minister is currently inflicting on us.

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

The Leader of the Nationals will resume his seat. The Deputy Prime Minister will wait. I will just illustrate the consistency with rulings in this place. The question related, indeed, to a school—a school that was funded under a named program, that being the Primary Schools for the 21st Century program, and, consistent with rulings over many parliaments, that allows—

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Hockey interjecting

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question was about one school.

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

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition can interject all she likes upon me. This is a matter that I have suggested could be settled, if there is a problem for members of the House, by the Procedure Committee having a look at these matters.

To the member for North Sydney, who thinks that he can interject upon me: I think that the person from whom I learned the most about this matter was in fact the former Prime Minister, who reminded us, each time, when a question was worded in a way that allowed it to be opened up, that, if a program was mentioned, that was sufficient. Whether the House as a whole is satisfied by that is a different matter. But—and I go back many, many parliaments—a number of governments have not taken the opportunity that was given to them by Procedure Committee reports to change this. So, consistent with past rulings, no matter how much criticism it brings to me, the mention of other matters under the program suffices the terms of relevance as they have been known in this chamber.

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

Thank you very much, Mr Speaker, and can I say that I think the sensitivity displayed just then by the opposition shows an important point to the parliament, which is: the member has approached the dispatch box to ask about one school. But of course what he does not want to be reminded of is that he voted against resources going to every school in this country: he voted against resources going to the 72 schools in his electorate, he voted against resources going to schools in my electorate, he voted against resources going to schools in National Party electorates, he voted against resources going to schools in the electorates of independents—every school in this country. He came into this parliament and he put up his hand and he said, ‘When it comes to spending money on schools, I say no.’ And, in line with that kind of philosophy, apparently the member for Wide Bay is now saying the summit of his political career will be to come into this place and to say, ‘$250,000 that could be spent on a school should not be spent on a school.’ That is the summit of his political career, apparently.

The government will work with the Queensland education authorities as this consultation process goes through. We will work with any suggestions about alternative uses of that money. If an alternative use is identified, I will then come into the parliament and I will ask the member for Wide Bay—if we have identified a school that needs that money—to walk up to the dispatch box and say, ‘I do not support that school getting that money.’

Of course, this shows the sleight of hand across the board by the opposition about Building the Education Revolution. We have the shadow Treasurer, known for his sloppiness and his inability to think logically, out there saying, ‘Cut the program; take money out of schools.’ The member for Sturt, who is only known for part-time work, at least had the wit—

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.

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

I am just about to compliment you, actually.

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

She is not alone. Mr Speaker, the question asked was: where will the $250,000 end up? Will it end up back with the federal taxpayer, with the Queensland government or—

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

The member will resume his seat. The question is clear. I call the Deputy Prime Minister.

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

Can I say to the shadow minister: I was just about compliment him, so I did not want to be interrupted, because it is a rare day. The shadow Treasurer is out there saying, ‘Let’s cut funding to schools, to Building the Education Revolution.’ The shadow minister, the member for Sturt, at least has the wit to guard his language and not use that terminology. When he has been asked, he has said that funding should be maintained to schools. The opposition had better sort out its position on this—two different forms of words, and they voted against it.