Kenmore State High School
Wednesday, 17 June 2009 16:07
Dr FLEGG (Moggill—LNP) (9.09 pm): I am standing here again tonight to ask: where has all the money gone?Government members interjected.
Dr FLEGG: You will want to hear this; it is about you guys. Kenmore State High School in my electorate of Moggill was allocated $478,000 under the Rudd government’s ‘computer for every student’ promise. That equates to $1,500 a computer, and it was directed towards 319 year 11 students because they will have two years to use their computer. Imagine the delight of parents, realising that their kids would get some technology to help them with their education. They are halfway through the year and they have not got a cent, and they have now been informed that Education Queensland has got its grubby little mitts on the money and all that is left after Education Queensland picked their pocket is $166,000. It has taken two-thirds of it out without any reasonable excuse and delayed the payment receipt to the school.The question is: why would this government want to withhold money from the education of our children? In the email from the P&C to me they describe themselves as upset and angry about the withholding of these resources from kids who could be using the computers today to further their education. There has been no reasonable excuse. The school is already set up for wireless internet. The machines are able to be used at the moment, but this light fingered government has done what it has done with building education money, with school pride money and with every other dollar it can get its sticky fingers on, and that is pocket the money for itself.
This is a government school that does a fabulous job, that I am strongly supportive of and that I think we should be proud of. The P&C has worked tirelessly to make sure that this school is properly resourced. This was an important part of its planning to advance the education of these children. There is no excuse: every last dollar of this money should go towards the education of our children and to the purposes for which the federal government directed it. The delay in withholding it is unacceptable. Removing two-thirds of the money—instead of 319 children getting a computer in grade 11, only 110 will get it—is absolutely inexcusable. I am writing to the minister tonight yet again to see if he can explain why his administration is so dreadful.
(Time expired)