Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Education. I refer the minister to the case of the Pleasant Hills Public School in my electorate of Farrer, where $93,537 is being spent on design, management and contingency out of a total project cost of $249,437—in other words, 37.4 per cent—under your Primary Schools for the 21st Century program. Does the minister believe that this represents value for money?

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

I did not realise that a removal from the shadow ministry for education was so quickly on the cards for the member for Sturt. I congratulate the member on her appointment as shadow minister for education. Very well done. Presumably she will be moving up and he will be moving down. On the question that has been asked, I will have a look at the example raised by the member for Farrer. As she would be aware, the Building the Education Revolution program is providing resources to more than 9,500 schools around the country, through 24,009 projects. I will check the example she has raised. I have found, generally, when examples are raised by the opposition they are wrong. The member for Sturt proved that as recently as last Thursday when he contended that extra government money was being used at a school when that was not true—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Mackellar, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Seniors) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I raise a point of order on relevance. The question was why is that 40 per cent management fee being charged in this so-called education revolution?

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

The member for Mackellar will resume her seat. The Deputy Prime Minister has an obligation to answer the question, and she is responding.

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

I will check the details. As I say, as recently as last Thursday so-called facts raised by the opposition were wrong. What I can say to the member for Farrer is that in the Building the Education Revolution program administrative expenses of block grant authorities are capped at 1.5 per cent, and program works at four per cent, which is a figure built on what happens in private construction. So that is part of how Building the Education Revolution works. I will look at the specific example she has raised, but I make the following point: if we had followed her lead and the lead of the opposition on economic stimulus then not one school would have got one dollar. In her state of New South Wales more than 16,000 people are on construction sites today because of the provision of economic stimulus. More than 2,700 apprentices and trainees are working today on those construction sites because of the provision of economic stimulus and every school in New South Wales is receiving a benefit. I know, because of how she voted, she is opposed to that—opposed to the jobs, opposed to the apprentices, opposed to the trainees and opposed to the new facilities in schools. She is opposed to every part of it. If she follows what her leader says, what the shadow Treasurer says and what the shadow finance minister says, if she should ever be elected to the government benches she would stop that expenditure immediately and there would be half-wrecked decaying facilities right around the country. But I will check the individual example and get back to the member.