Twelve Questions Julia Gillard won't answer

"The Deputy Prime Minister has not answered twelve critical questions put to her today in the Federal Parliament about the education policies under her administration," Christopher Pyne, Shadow Minister for Education.

"Labor has long been treating the Parliament with contempt by not answering the questions asked by the Opposition. It's not just the Coalition that want answers but all Australians who have been let down by Labor, especially within the education portfolio," Mr Pyne said.

Schools - School Hall rip-off taskforce

1.  Can the Minister explain how frequently she has met with Building the Education Taskforce Chief Brad Orgill and whether he has provided her with any examples of waste or mismanagement since the taskforce was formed on 12 April 2010?

2.  How much is Mr Orgill being paid in his capacity as head of the implementation taskforce?

3.  In the media release of 12 April 2010, the Minister said the taskforce would employ or contract investigators with a range of skills in building, design construction and safety, quantity surveying, architecture, financial audit and law. Can the Minister advise how many financial auditors or  forensic accounts have been contracted or employed by the taskforce? How many quantity surveyors have been contracted or employed by the taskforce?

4.  Can the Minister provide the Opposition with access to the contractual documentation for each individual BER project for the following states; Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia, Northern Territory, and the Australian Capital Territory? If not why not?

Schools - Computers in schools broadband

5.  Given the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, promised that under the Government's computers in schools program, students would be provided with high speed broadband access by the end of 2011, can the Minister provide an update on when the computers are due to be connected 100 megabits per second fibre broadband in order to keep the promise? How many computers have been connected up thus far?

Schools - Chaplains program

6.  Can the Minister explain the rationale behind the review of the National School Chaplains program which begun under the Howard Government, which has previously been surveyed as having 97 per cent of school principals who have engaged a chaplain strongly support the program and recognise the benefits for their school communities? Why is it only funded until 2011 given its proven to be so successful in its current form?

Higher Education - Education Innovation Fund

7.  In the Minister's media release of 13 May 2008 on higher education, she said "The Government will also allocate funds from the 2007-08 and 2008-09 surpluses, along with money from the Higher Education Endowment Fund, to create a new $11 billion Education Innovation Fund to support higher education and vocational education and training". How then does she justify, in this years Budget that there is no evidence that a top-up of the $5 billion has occurred?

Higher Education - Rural Hardship Fund

8.  What is the current status of the $20 million youth allowance rural hardship fund due to come into operation January next year? What form will it take? Who will be eligible to apply and what sort of assistance will be offered to students? Or is the fund just more evidence of policy on the run without any thought about what this fund will actually do?

Higher Education - Tertiary Education Quality Standard Agency

9.  I refer to concerns about the proposed internal working structures for Tertiary Education Quality Standards Agency, the timelines for establishment of the agency, and the adequacy of funding for the role it is to be tasked with. Isn't this another example of Labor making big commitments but with shambolic implementation?

Schools - Trade Training Centres

10.  How many trade training centres are currently open and operational from the first round of the Trades Training Centre program?

11.  How many trade training centres are currently open and operational from the second round of the Trades Training Centre program?

12.  Of the open and operational trades training centres, how many are in non-government schools?

In response to these questions, Ms Gillard resorted to the talking points and Government spin for which she has become known.

"Only a Coalition Government can the fix the mess created by Labor and take real action to improve the education portfolio," Mr Pyne said.

June 15, 2010

MEDIA CONTACT:

Adam Howard

0400 414 833