Education was the hot issue when Labor candidates and state Opposition MPs hit the hustings in Melbourne’s north last week.
Labor’s leader, Daniel Andrews, pledged $8 million to complete construction of the final wings for Wallan Secondary College and Hazel Glen College in Doreen, then went on to Sunbury where he pledged a further $3 million to repair the science wing of Sunbury College.
Mr Andrews accused the Napthine government of abandoning the former Labor state government’s plan to renovate, rebuild or modernise every Victorian government school.
“The Napthine government has spent only a statewide average of $278 million a year on capital works, compared to an average spend of $467 million in Labor’s last term in office,” Mr Andrews said. “Under the Liberals, schools are falling apart and our kids are falling behind.”
Meanwhile, McEwen’s federal Labor MP Rob Mitchell and federal education spokesman Kate Ellis toured the electorate together to assess the impact of planned cuts to the child care benefit, a means-tested payment to low and middle- income families.
Speaking at the Forever Friends Early Learning Centre and Preschool in Sunbury, Mr Mitchell said the Abbott government budget was leaving families in limbo by refusing to confirm kindergarten funding from next year.
Mr Mitchell said cuts to child care funding under the Abbott government amounted to more than $1 billion in the next year and that 4300 McEwen families were affected.
He urged residents to support a petition against child care cuts at www.alp.org.au/targetedchildcarecuts
