'Speed premium' cost $8 billion: but BER still behind schedule

06/08/10

The Labor Government’s report into their own wasteful spending tries to paint the school hall rip-off in the best possible light - but it can’t avoid the truth – that $8 billion of taxpayers money has been mismanaged. More Labor waste.

Julia Gillard’s defence is that there was a cost premium to rushing the programme out quickly. In other words, $8 billion of waste is justified in the name of speed.

What she doesn’t admit is that the programme is running at least a year behind schedule.

Her cost premium did not deliver speed or value for money.

Mr Orgill’s report recommends the management of all uncompleted projects be dismantled and restored to the pre-BER system – a damning indictment on the project’s architects: Julia Gillard and the Labor Government.

Mr Orgill calls for the release of all costings across all sectors in a nationally consistent manner – something Julia Gillard and most state governments have refused to allow.

The report says that where greater consultation with stakeholders has occurred, better value for money has been achieved – the Coalition will fund schools directly and let them keep their savings.

The Orgill Taskforce has had limited access to costings data and, because of Labor’s narrow terms of reference, is unable to give the Australian people a real picture of the waste or who is responsible for the rorts.

If the Australian people want to know what happened in the School Hall rip-off, only the Coalition is offering a full judicial inquiry into the program, with the power to subpoena documents and summons witnesses. A re-elected Labor Government will hide the truth.

We will end the waste.