Inconsistencies dog BER Inquiry

Comments made by Implementation Taskforce Head, Mr Brad Orgill, appear to contradict evidence presented to other inquiries into the School Hall program and with Mr Orgill's own interim report.

Christopher Pyne, Shadow Minister for Education, today wrote to Mr Orgill seeking an explanation of his comments.

"The state and federal parliamentary inquiries into the school hall program have found substantial evidence of waste and mismanagement," Mr Pyne said.

"Testimony presented has also backed up reported examples of bullying and intimidation of principals and teachers within the government school sector not to speak out about BER problems" he said.

Mr Orgill denied that there was any evidence suggesting value for money had not being achieved in this program, and that there has been no examples of bullying and intimidation, completely contrary to every other inquiry and in contradiction to parts of his own interim report.

I have questioned the independence and methods of the Implementation Taskforce from the outset. This is an investigatory body that employed a media advisor before it employed an accountant.

There is little doubt that the Taskforce was Julia Gillard's election fix, and the interim report attempted to paint the inflationary prices, price gouging and waste as a premium for the speed of the roll out.

We now know that less than 40 per cent of projects have been completed nationally and the program is way behind schedule in every state, so this argument simply doesn't stack up.

"Armed with this new information we have a compelling case to ask the crossbench Members and Senators to support a truly independent judicial inquiry," Mr Pyne said.

November 3, 2010

MEDIA CONTACT:

Adam Howard

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