Page 747 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 1 April 2008
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opposition spokesman, denigrated this investment—said that it was throwing good money after bad. We know the position of the Liberal Party. We saw, in his classic first interview, the Leader of Opposition setting himself forward as the education spokesperson—a stumbling, bumbling effort where he decided that his priority was public education—
Mrs Dunne: Mr Speaker, I have a point of order on relevance. I asked a question about whether he would rule out more disruptions and renovations. Digressing onto what Mr Seselja may have said several months ago is not relevant to the question.
MR SPEAKER: Stay with the subject matter of the question, Minister.
MR BARR: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Perhaps it was what Mr Seselja did not say that was the most interesting aspect of that interview. When it comes to the question of infrastructure renewal investment in our public education system, the position of the Liberal Party and the position of Mrs Dunne and Mr Seselja are a disgrace. They oppose. Let me make this very clear: by their line of questioning today, they have given further evidence of their position in relation to infrastructure renewal in public education. They hate it. They cannot stand the thought of the public education system being improved. And this is given that the Leader of the Opposition, in his very first interview, sought to highlight the issue of public versus private education.
Mrs Dunne: Mr Speaker, you have already ruled on this.
MR SPEAKER: Thank you, Mrs Dunne. Just stay with the subject matter of the question, please, minister.
MR BARR: Which is in relation to infrastructure renewal in public schools.
Mrs Burke: No, it is not.
Mrs Dunne: It is about disruption and renovation.
MR SPEAKER: It was about disruption.
Mr Seselja: Have a go at it.
MR SPEAKER: Order! It was about disruption with the renovation program for government schools.
MR BARR: As I indicated earlier in my answer, the department successfully managed more than 220 upgrade programs in the first 12 months of this four-year, $350 million investment. They will continue to work with school communities to ensure that this program is managed effectively. (Time expired.)
MRS DUNNE: Minister, will you rule out that the old schools like Lyons that are going to be converted to P-2 schools—that is, Narrabundah primary school, Southern Cross primary school and Isabella Plains primary school—will not experience the disruptions that have been mooted for Lyons primary school? And can you deny that
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