Page 3342 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 19 August 2009
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MR BARR: Once again, I thank Ms Porter for her interest in the education portfolio. I acknowledge that in this parliament I think she has asked more questions in this area than the entire opposition combined. Certainly it was the case in the previous one.
The ACT government, together with the federal government, has been investing heavily in local schools. Here at a local level we have been cutting planning red tape. We have been doing this so that tradies can work and kids can learn.
It is the case that Labor has always been the party of education, the party of jobs and the party of economic responsibility. We went to the people last October with a well thought out education policy, and it is largely because the people of the ACT trust us to develop good policy and deliver upon it that we sit on this side of the chamber and the Liberals sit on the other. It is worth noting that the Liberals are sitting on the wrong side of the Speaker, both here and in the national parliament, and this is because they do not believe in investing in education and they do not believe in investing in keep Australians in jobs.
All members of the Assembly, even the Liberals, must acknowledge that every student in the ACT is benefiting from more than half a billion dollars being invested in ACT schools by the ACT and federal Labor governments. But that is nothing new, that half billion dollar investment from federal and ACT Labor. I can now advise the Assembly that these investments are also keeping hundreds of Canberrans in work—hundreds of Canberrans—and, as more projects roll out, hundreds more will be employed.
The building the education revolution package has already seen around 340 workers and staff engaged in projects. There is a dedicated team of around 45 workers engaged in ACT public schools undertaking painting and routine maintenance—
Members interjecting—
MR SPEAKER: Order, members! Mr Barr has the floor.
MR BARR: Thank you, Mr Speaker. As I said, there is a team of about 45 workers engaged across ACT public schools as we speak, undertaking a range of painting and building modifications, installing shade structures and other routine maintenance around our schools. But the good economic news does not stop there. The $150 million investment in the first round of the building the education revolution initiatives are expected to create a further 250 onsite jobs for Canberrans, including work for around 50 apprentices. That is good for jobs and it is good for kids.
After 12 long years when the federal Liberals treated education as a political football, ACT Labor is pleased to be able to work with the commonwealth to invest in schools. It is why we have moved to further cut planning red tape so that Canberra schools and tradies can get the full benefits of Labor’s record investment in education.
Labor’s planning improvements are ensuring that projects will not be subject to third party appeals and schools will be able to get on with building these important projects. Development applications for these school projects are still being rigorously assessed
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