Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Polley, that is a great interjection—and the teachers! And the community as well, because these school halls are for the whole of the community to use. Not that long ago I had the pleasure of attending Kingston Primary School’s new hall for a community activity, and it was absolutely wonderful and everybody there was really pleased with it.

With regard to the absolutely bizarre comment from the opposition that somehow schools do not want these facilities, can I say that schools have to sign off on these facilities. Read the guidelines. The schools have to actually sign off. Nobody is forcing the schools to take these buildings. Why would you not want to improve education outcomes for all students? Why are the opposition so anti-education? I challenge them to tell me. I note there is a Tasmanian senator on the other side. I challenge them to tell me which schools they would not give the money to. Which schools in Tasmania do they not want to have those improvements? Which schools should we take the money from? Tell me which schools you would like us to take the money from.

Building the Education Revolution has not been mismanaged. Those on the other side come in here with their broad accusations but they have no proof. They come in here and cite articles from the Australian. I think that is the work of their tactics committee. Every day they sit down in their office first thing in the morning, read the Australian, see what is in there and say, ‘We’ll have a question on that in question time or we’ll take that up at some other time.’ And off they go, citing the Australian like it is some wonderful—