Labor gags debate on BER school waste
Tuesday, 31 August 2010 14:48
31 August 2010
Labor gags debate on BER school waste
Bligh and Labor attempted to gag debate on a report critical of state and federal administration of the disgraced BER schools program, the LNP said today.
Shadow Minister for Education & Training Dr Bruce Flegg accused Minister Geoff Wilson of attempting to gag discussion on the damning Orgill Report during this morning’s sitting of State Parliament.
“The interim Orgill Report on the BER schools program reveals massive waste by both state and federal governments in the administration of the scheme,” Dr Flegg said.
“When I attempted to raise the report’s findings during a matter of public importance this morning, Minister Wilson constantly interrupted with petulant, time-wasting points of order.
“It’s little wonder he is so sensitive about the report’s contents given the waste of hundreds of millions of dollars on school building projects in Queensland under his watch.
"While Minister Wilson was throwing away vital education money paying over $2800 per sq m to build basic school buildings, the Queensland Catholic school system was able to build similar or more appropriate buildings for $1800 per sq m.”
Dr Flegg challenged the Bligh Labor government to release detailed costings of projects constructed with the $2 billion of taxpayer money that had been pumped into school building projects.
“This minister continues to insist, in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, that there has been no waste, yet he consistently refuses to release individual costings and has wasted further money on large accountancy firms reviewing the project without the benefit of detailed costings of individual projects.
“What is the point of doing expensive taxpayer funded reports, such as the Rudd government commissioned Orgill Report, when failed ministers like Minister Wilson have no intention of acting on the recommendations?
“The minister’s puerile attempts to gag discussion in the house this morning show he doesn’t want Queensland taxpayers to discover the truth about BER waste.
“As well as being an insult to the Parliament and a waste of scarce parliamentary time, such childish petulance goes a long way to show why education in this state is effectively leaderless."