Kensington Primary School
Ellen SANDELL (Melbourne) (14:20): My question is to the Minister for Education. Minister, five years ago Kensington Primary School in my electorate received funding for much-needed upgrades, but only half the project was completed due to cost overruns from the school building authority. Now the school has been waiting five years for the government to finish the project they started. To be clear, the school is not asking for anything new. They are not asking for a swimming pool or for gold plating. They just want the government to finish the project that the VSBA already said was necessary, such as installing a lift so kids with disabilities can actually get to their classrooms upstairs, insulation and soundproofing in classrooms so kids can actually learn and fixing leaks and rotting window frames. Minister, I have drawn this issue to the government’s attention many, many times, yet again in the state budget there was zero funding for the upgrades that KPS need. Why?
Ben CARROLL (Niddrie – Minister for Education, Minister for WorkSafe and the TAC, Minister for Medical Research) (14:21): Can I thank the member for Melbourne for her question. Since Labor came to office we have invested $200 million in schools in the Melbourne electorate. The member for Melbourne just mentioned disability inclusion. This Premier started her day on budget day with families and students in the City of Melbourne, talking with them about our $2.2 billion in disability inclusion. On this side we are about action because we know action cuts through more than rhetoric ever will. That is why we are investing in making sure every student does not miss out, with world-class schools in every corner and best practice in every classroom.
Ellen SANDELL (Melbourne) (14:22): Last November I asked the minister directly in Parliament if he would visit Kensington Primary to see for himself the works that are needed. He said he would. The school council wrote to the minister in November and again in January and again in April to follow up and book a time, but they have received no response. It is six months later, yet the Labor minister has not done the KPS community the courtesy of responding and has not visited. When will the minister respond to the invitation from our Kensington community and visit KPS?
Ellen Sandell: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, I thought that schools were supposed to be funded based on need, not based on what is good for the Labor Party and their political imperatives.