By Romy Stephens
Last week’s $1.18 billion education infrastructure announcement is proven as more spin by the State Government, according to Gembrook MP Brad Battin.
Mr Battin said the funding was part of Labor’s $2.7 billion loan and had been used to pay for its unfunded election promises.
He said this left Emerald Secondary College without new science and mathematics classrooms to replace their current run down structures.
“Labor is disgracefully using the Covid-19 pandemic as a charade to cover the amount of
borrowing and state debt they have to collect to pay for their promised funded election promises,” Mr Battin said.
“It has only become clear that Labor is more worried about covering their election promise debts
than investing in urgent school projects.
“The Labor Minister for Education forgets Emerald Secondary exists, despite families from his own electorate attending this great school, leaving its classrooms to continuingly deteriorate while he borrows billions to cover unfunded election promises.”
On 18 May Education Minister James Merlino announced that the State Government would fix old buildings, deliver extra classrooms and build 10 new schools in a state-wide construction blitz that will create thousands of jobs and kickstart the state’s economy.
The $1.18 billion in education infrastructure projects was part of the State Government’s $2.7 billion Building Works package.
Mr Merlino said the funding was vital for high quality education across the state.
“We’re investing more than a billion dollars in better schools and kinders as part of our record investment in education – so all Victorians, regardless of their background or circumstances, get a world-class education,” he said.
But Mr Battin claimed the State Government continually neglected Emerald Secondary College and failed to match the Liberals commitment to rebuilding the school’s maths and science rooms.
