Bruce Billson (Dunkley, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Sustainable Development and Cities) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Education. I draw the minister to her assurance in this House on 17 June that Langwarrin Primary School would not be forced to accept a template building that replaces existing classrooms instead of its preference for a less expensive classroom refurbishment and a half-court basketball facility. Is the minister aware that despite the school’s preference it continues to be told to take or leave a building that it is not seeking and will result in builders’ portaloos becoming a permanent feature of the school. For the fourth time, Minister, and after providing copious details to you, will you act to assist Langwarrin Primary School and give effect to your assurances given in this House?

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

I thank the shadow minister and member for Dunkley for his question. We have had the issue of Langwarrin Primary School raised in this House before—that is correct. My advice on Langwarrin Primary School is that the school agreed to apply for $3 million under the Primary Schools for the 21st Century program and that that was for a library and a learning neighbourhood centre that the school wanted, that my department has been provided with documentation which shows that the school agreed to this proposal and that the documentation was signed on or around 9 June 2009 by the Langwarrin Primary School principal and the Langwarrin Primary School council president. The proposal that was put with the documentation, as I am advised, has been supplied to my department, indicating that both the principal and the school council president agreed to the delivery of the project that is being delivered.

Bruce Billson (Dunkley, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Sustainable Development and Cities) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I am hoping to assist the process. I can bring a delegation here to ensure that the minister has accurate material.

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

Order! That is not a point of order. The Deputy Prime Minister is responding to the question.

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

Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. That is the advice I have. I say to the member for Dunkley—as he may well know, being a Victorian—and to the shadow minister: I have conducted a number of principals forums in Victoria. I have met with literally dozens and dozens of principals there to talk about Building the Education Revolution. I have engaged in comparable processes around the country where principals are always welcome to raise individual concerns with me. If it would assist the member I am more than happy to meet with any representative from the school he would like me to meet with. I am happy to travel to the school to discuss the issue with him if he would prefer that.

I say to the member and to members of parliament generally: we are talking about a program, first and foremost, that is delivering more than 24,000 projects in 9,500 schools around the country. We have always said in the delivery of a program of that size and scale—delivered quickly for the very good purpose of supporting jobs today during the global recession and keeping tradespeople, architects and others employed who would not be employed during this global economic downturn but for this expenditure—like any human activity, there will be problems and complaints along the way. I know that the member has worked with this local school. We are obviously happy to work with this local school to address any complaints.

I also say to the member: when I meet with the local school, if that is what he wants me to do, or go to the local school with him, if that is what he wants me to do, it will be incumbent upon him at the same time to say to the local school that when he was asked in this parliament whether he supported them getting one dollar of this resource he voted no.