Time for Rudd to Garrettâ Gillard

Kevin Rudd should 'Garrett' the incompetent Minister for Education and give responsibility for the School Hall rip-off to someone else, Christopher Pyne, Shadow Minister for Education said today.

"Rod Hook, the South Australian Co-ordinator-General of the stimulus roll-out is reported today as saying the problems with the School Hall rip-off nationally are due to the Rudd Government's 'lack of interest'," Mr Pyne said.

"Mr Hook has dumped the problems on Julia Gillard's doorstep. While the Minister insists on being invited to the opening of every school hall, she isn't much interested in making sure schools and taxpayers get value for money," he said.

""As former Labor Leader Mark Latham points out in the Australian Financial Review today 'she (Ms Gillard) wastes a lot of her time on stunts and trivia.'

""Meanwhile schools, particularly public schools get dudded. Like Comical Ali, the former Iraqi Information Minister, Ms Gillard continues to declare the School Hall rip-off a great success while billions are evaporating through price gouging, rorting, waste and mismanagement.

"Wayne Swan has admitted rorting is occurring and the New South Wales Government apparently knew about the rorting all along. It's time for Kevin Rudd to appoint someone else to clean up Ms Gillard's mess," Mr Pyne said.

April 8, 2010

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