Verity Firth (NSW Education Minister) is preaching:
Anthony Albanese (Federal Infrastructure & Transport Minister) is not apologising:
Only problem is that some schools don’t want the handout if it means having infrastructure thrust upon them, especially if it is not needed.
Baulkham Hills North Public School was one example in the news this week. They have been told they are getting a new hall costing $2.45million that will only house 50 extra people, leaving about 400 student with nowhere to sit. Due to strict deadlines if work doesn’t start by December 1st they risk losing the money all together.
It is fair enough having a strict deadline for such projects because otherwise nothing would ever get done. But if the spending is irresponsible to begin with then what does it matter about a deadline. For a real stimulus to work the infrastructure has to be needed and be of benefit to the public. In the above example it is obviously neither.
The buzzword came out via Kevin Rudd about having shovel ready projects. “Shovel ready” gives me the impression that all the problems we are now experiencing had long been ironed out, not so. So were they “shovel ready” to begin with, I think not.
What is the real motivation behind the program anyway? Well I think the massive signage erected alongside new building projects might give you a clue. But what schools are showing is that common sense does sometimes prevail and that political allegiances cannot be bought by throwing away huge amounts of cash.
“We're committed to ensuring that our processes are followed right down to the school level so that everything's being done correctly and no money is wasted.”
Anthony Albanese (Federal Infrastructure & Transport Minister) is not apologising:
“We make no apology for acting early and decisively to insulate, to project Australians from the impact of the global financial crisis”
Only problem is that some schools don’t want the handout if it means having infrastructure thrust upon them, especially if it is not needed.
Baulkham Hills North Public School was one example in the news this week. They have been told they are getting a new hall costing $2.45million that will only house 50 extra people, leaving about 400 student with nowhere to sit. Due to strict deadlines if work doesn’t start by December 1st they risk losing the money all together.
Decisive or irresponsible?
It is fair enough having a strict deadline for such projects because otherwise nothing would ever get done. But if the spending is irresponsible to begin with then what does it matter about a deadline. For a real stimulus to work the infrastructure has to be needed and be of benefit to the public. In the above example it is obviously neither.
The buzzword came out via Kevin Rudd about having shovel ready projects. “Shovel ready” gives me the impression that all the problems we are now experiencing had long been ironed out, not so. So were they “shovel ready” to begin with, I think not.
What is the real motivation behind the program anyway? Well I think the massive signage erected alongside new building projects might give you a clue. But what schools are showing is that common sense does sometimes prevail and that political allegiances cannot be bought by throwing away huge amounts of cash.
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