Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am rather pleased that Senator Colbeck finally got around to actually giving us an example, for the first time after two speakers, but the trouble is that the example he has given has got nothing to do with their claims of rorting. What schools get in terms of money is determined by the actual program and the prerequisites of the program, the program guidelines; that is what people get. A school will either get the money or not, depending on the program guidelines. What those opposite are saying is that there is all this supposed rorting going on, but I really have to question the veracity of some of those claims, because Senator Bernardi did not give one example. He said to us, ‘The only thing I can say to you is to look in the Australian today.’ He did not talk about a particular school. He said, ‘Look in the Australian today.’ This is a matter of public importance that they have raised today and, given the extent of their research, the one example they could give is not even their example; it relies on the Australian. Let me tell you that over the last six or seven months the Liberal Party have been coming up with examples from the Australian about the education revolution which this government has embarked upon. Every time that those claims have been investigated they have been proved to be inaccurate or simply untrue. I notice that he did not refer to any previous Australian newspaper allegations, just one today. But I dare say that when that claim made by the Australian today is investigated we will find that is probably also inaccurate and untrue.

Senator Bernardi said he knows that contractors, builders, are charging two, three, four or five times as much as the actual building price. That is the claim that he makes; he makes the claim and then leaves it. Where is the evidence of that? Where are the examples of that? He gave no evidence and no examples. He then went on to say he has had numerous reports—and I will try to quote him as best I can; if I misquote him I will apologise later, but I wrote it down as he said it—of electricians being told to charge whatever they like so they can pay for their holiday home or pay for a boat to go fishing.