Gillard schools stunt a serious matter

Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard has issued Members of Parliament and Senators with a form entitled 'Building the Education Revolution: Federal MHR participation registration', requiring that they indicate whether they wish to be informed of, or participate in, the new buildings and redevelopment of their local schools.

"Minister Gillard's stunt in relation to local MP's, Senators and the schools in their electorates is out of line", according to Shadow Education Minister Christopher Pyne, in a letter he has written to the Minister.

"I have taken the unusual step of making my correspondence to Minister Gillard public because the principle at stake is important, and the Minister needs to understand the gravity of what she might regard as clever politics but is, in fact, just plain petty."

The form requests that members tick a box indicating they wish to be involved in infrastructure development at schools in their electorates.

But this stunt is a serious matter - school communities expect their local MP or Senator to be involved in their activities, and local MP's and Senators wish to be involved - establishing a register is unprecedented and if non-registration leads to exclusion then it is a potential breach of privilege.

In the last twelve months we have seen Coalition Members refused the right to attend schools in their electorates for launches of the last remnants of the former Government's highly successful Investing in our Schools program. I was disinvited from the opening of a new facility at a local primary school in the last year.

"I would urge Kevin Rudd to assure the Parliament, and the Australian public, that this is the first and the last time that one of his Ministers will be allowed to demand that MPs and Senators register for the opportunity to do their jobs as elected representatives."