Hartsuyker joins Parliament House protest rally over rorting of school building program

June 2, 2010

Federal MP Luke Hartsuyker has attended a public protest in front of Canberra’s Parliament House over the rorts and mismanagement of the Rudd Government’s school infrastructure program.

The protest saw one Parents and Citizen organisation construct a replica of a 24 square metre canteen on the front lawn of Parliament House. The canteen cost $600,000 under the program, but a local builder estimated it should have cost $80,000.

“Although not all schools affected by the rorts were represented at the protest, the message was consistent with what North Coast school communities have been saying,” Mr Hartsuyker said. “These schools have been given infrastructure that they either didn’t want or it doesn’t reflect what they were promised. Parents and Citizen’s groups have now been left with the bill to fix these incomplete projects or to come up with the funds to equip the buildings.

“Across the Cowper electorate there are numerous examples. The Eungai Public School and Stuarts Point Public School are two very public examples. But then there’s Scotts Head, Willawarrin, Narranga and Corindi Public Schools - the list goes on. At all these schools, the parents can not believe the poor value for money they have received as a result of millions of dollars of rorting and mismanagement.  Schools buildings have been left without fixtures and fittings which are essential to delivering a quality education. And in some cases infrastructure which was promised has simply been shelved.

“Despite the Government paying up to three times the market rate for commercial construction, it is beyond belief that there is no money left to finish these jobs. The parents of these schools see what infrastructure has been delivered at Independent and Catholic schools and they can’t understand why they have received so much less for the same amount of money.

“It is beyond belief that Minister Julia Gillard intends to release a further $5.5 billion in funding, before the Taskforce set up to investigate these rorts reports back to her.  After the debacle of the home insulation scheme one would have thought the Rudd Government would have learnt their lesson about early warning signs. But their complete arrogance towards responsible economic management means they will continue to recklessly spend billions on projects that are failing to deliver value for money for both the school communities and the Australian taxpayer.”