Shadow Treasurer Rob Lucas said today that Estimates Committee questioning of the Treasurer showed that taxpayers will be paying $13 million per year to the private sector for the six proposed ‘super schools’.
“Given that Mr Foley has estimated the total cost of the private sector investment will be $134 million, it seems a very large annual payment if it is to be $13 million per year,” Mr Lucas said.
“Mr Foley conceded in Estimates that the $13 million figure involved the payment to the private sector and also suggested some private sector consulting costs might be involved.”
However, this seems unlikely as there is a separate $9.5 million (over four years) budget figure for implementation costs including consultancies.
“Treasurer Foley has also confirmed it was likely that private sector investors would own the land on which the six supposed new ‘super schools’ were going to be built.
“This now means that the private sector will own the land and all school buildings as well as providing maintenance and other similar services to the schools.
“Whilst Mr Rann trumpets to the unions that he has signed the ‘No privatisations’ decree it is becoming increasingly difficult for Mr Rann to argue that this is not a privatisation.
“The Treasurer also confirms today that only the initial savings from the Public-Private Partnerships would be returned to schools and that after the savings would be returned to treasury.
“There are still many unanswered questions about the government’s proposal, and it is time for the Treasurer to clarify the details of exactly what is being proposed.”
