Gillard Government tells NSW ‘the cheque is in the mail’

How can Labor be trusted to deliver their ‘Education Crusade’ when their promised ‘Education Revolution’ continues to flounder?

“Two key programmes, Computers in Schools and ‘Teach Next’ have made headlines today for extraordinary incompetence and mismanagement,” said the Shadow Minister for Education, Christopher Pyne. 

“Last night the New South Wales Government had to demand in writing that the Commonwealth honour its funding agreements and pay millions of dollars for Computers in Schools, a bill which is six months overdue,” Mr Pyne said.

“At the eleventh hour, Schools Minister Peter Garrett stumped up only half of the cash, but this just highlights more Labor incompetence,” he said.

“The Computers in School programme has been beset with problems throughout its roll-out and now it seems the Government doesn’t want to pay the bills on time.

“The Gillard Government is operating like some dodgy outfit where the cheque is always in the mail.

“Sources have suggested the Commonwealth owes millions for computers in almost every jurisdiction. How can you run a Government if you can’t even pay the bills?

“At the same time an explosive story in The Age today reveals Julia Gillard’s $16 million ‘Teach Next’ programme has thus far only recruited 14 out of the promised 450 people to become teachers.

‘Teach Next’ has cost $1,142,857.14 per recruit with only one year and ten months before the programme concludes.

“In almost every element of the promised ‘Education Revolution’ there have been bungles, waste and mismanagement. Over the last five years student outcomes have declined.

“How can Labor be trusted to deliver on any new promises when they’ve spectacularly failed to deliver on their old promises?

14 February 2013