Kealy push for Warracknabeal
Member for Lowan Emma Kealy has continued an exhaustive effort to get more State Government action on the Warracknabeal Education Precinct project by again raising the issue in parliament.
Ms Kealy delivered a passionate speech in State Parliament, expressing outrage at the government’s ‘failure to provide funding necessary to complete the project’.
“I am just so angry that Labor has again failed to fund this vital project,” she said.
“This year’s budget has been absolutely devastating for schools in the Lowan electorate and, in fact, schools right across country Victoria.
“In Warracknabeal we have a situation where we have one-third of a special development school and half of the secondary college built – and two failed budgets by Labor to fix the mess they have created.
“The special development school has had to cut back specific, specialised education programs for its students because of this fiasco.
“At the secondary college there are cracks in the walls you can fit a fist in, possum urine leaking through the ceiling and students exposed every day to an abundance of high-risk
asbestos that Labor promised to remove by 2020 but has still not funded.
“We have the best laboratory and science lab in Victoria all set up at the half-built college but it can’t be used because the students can’t relocate to the new site.
“These are the next generation of nurses, agronomists and doctors in our region and Labor is letting them down by not giving them the best possible educational opportunities.”
Ms Kealy gave credit to the Warracknabeal people running a ‘finish what you started’ publicity campaign.
“Unfortunately the decision to not fund the Warracknabeal Education Precinct is all about Labor’s values and priorities – and country Victoria isn’t one of them,” she said.
“Our secondary and SDS students are missing out in Warracknabeal and Labor has done nothing but simply turn their backs on this fantastic community.
“It is absolutely disgraceful the people of Warracknabeal are being penalised because they have Daniel Andrews as premier.”
A full transcript of Ms Kealy’s parliamentary speech is available online at emmakealy.com/matters_of_public_importance_ education_funding.