Judicial Inquiry will get to the truth on School

Reports the NSW Government considered the Hastings Public School's $1 million 'Covered Outdoor Learning Area' a 'value for money' project highlights the need for a Judicial Inquiry into the School Hall rip-off according to Christopher Pyne, Shadow Minister for Education.

""Julia Gillard's department also signed off on the waste, mismanagement, rorting and price gouging,"" Mr Pyne said.

Reporting requirements in the Building the Education Revolution Guidelines mean that the Federal Department of Education are also aware of the costings and project development in each school.

""It is reported that while the Federal Department of Education wrote a 'stern letter' to the NSW Department in August the evaporation of taxpayer's funds continued,"" Mr Pyne said.

""Meanwhile the Prime Minister's office has allegedly cold called at least one school desperately seeking a supportive letter from the principal,"" he said.

There are serious questions to answer about the management of this program. Rather than Kevin Rudd begging for supportive letters to fix the image problem, it's time for a real investigation to occur into the billions of dollars being lost.

Julia Gillard appears to have presided over the biggest financial bungle since the Khemlani Loans Scandal.

It was only the public outcry that saw the Hastings Public School COLA cancelled. How many thousands of other schools have quietly accepted buildings out of fear of reprisal?

"A Judicial Inquiry is needed to sort through this mess. If the Labor Government truly believes examples of waste, mismanagement, rorting and price gouging are isolated they should have nothing to hide," Mr Pyne said.

April 9, 2010

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