Opposition frontbencher Kate Washington has made two major stuff ups in as many weeks in her portfolio responsibilities, demonstrating Labor’s incompetence once again.
As Ms Washington’s local newspaper the Port Stephens Examiner noted, the MP incorrectly claimed the NSW Government was planning to privatise Tomaree Hospital, without realising the previous Labor government was behind the outsourcing of some of the community hospitals’ medical services in 2009.
“Trust is at the core of the relationship between an MP and his or her electorate and to gain trust, you have to tell the truth,” Minister for Health Brad Hazzard said.
“Sadly, Ms Washington prioritises throwing political bombs ahead of fact-checking and in doing so, has misled the Hunter community. Locals deserve an apology.”
Ms Washington followed that faux pas with another major stuff up today when she claimed “there has not been investment in capital infrastructure in preschools for so long” shortly after the NSW Government announced a $5 million boost to preschool capital funding.
Early Childhood Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said this was simply untrue.
“Ms Washington has been living under a rock and is out of touch with the sector and her own community,” she said.
Ms Mitchell said she would be happy to lend a hand to help the opposition with their homework, because the facts speak for themselves.
The NSW Government has invested a total of $28 million of Capital Works Funding into preschools just in the last five years alone.
In fact, $2.3 million in Capital Works funding has been invested in the Hunter region alone:
“The Liberals & Nationals have invested more every year into early childhood education since being in government than Labor did in their last year in office. Labor allocated just $200 million towards early childhood education in its last budget in government. We have now doubled that, with $400 million committed in our 2017/18 budget,” Ms Mitchell said.
“The opposition spokesperson’s comments are embarrassingly incorrect and I wouldn’t trust her and her Labor colleagues to use a bucket and spade in a sandpit, let alone invest in the future of children in NSW”.
As Ms Washington’s local newspaper the Port Stephens Examiner noted, the MP incorrectly claimed the NSW Government was planning to privatise Tomaree Hospital, without realising the previous Labor government was behind the outsourcing of some of the community hospitals’ medical services in 2009.
“Trust is at the core of the relationship between an MP and his or her electorate and to gain trust, you have to tell the truth,” Minister for Health Brad Hazzard said.
“Sadly, Ms Washington prioritises throwing political bombs ahead of fact-checking and in doing so, has misled the Hunter community. Locals deserve an apology.”
Ms Washington followed that faux pas with another major stuff up today when she claimed “there has not been investment in capital infrastructure in preschools for so long” shortly after the NSW Government announced a $5 million boost to preschool capital funding.
Early Childhood Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said this was simply untrue.
“Ms Washington has been living under a rock and is out of touch with the sector and her own community,” she said.
Ms Mitchell said she would be happy to lend a hand to help the opposition with their homework, because the facts speak for themselves.
The NSW Government has invested a total of $28 million of Capital Works Funding into preschools just in the last five years alone.
In fact, $2.3 million in Capital Works funding has been invested in the Hunter region alone:
- $312,000 for Bellbird preschool
- $343,000 for Adamstown Heights preschool
- $612,000 for Mindaribba Local Aboriginal Land Council
- $46,000 for Lower Hunter Children’s Activity Van Association for a new vehicle
- $430,500 for Old Bar Community preschool
- $235,400 for Wingham and District preschool
- $330,000 for Singleton Heights preschool
“The Liberals & Nationals have invested more every year into early childhood education since being in government than Labor did in their last year in office. Labor allocated just $200 million towards early childhood education in its last budget in government. We have now doubled that, with $400 million committed in our 2017/18 budget,” Ms Mitchell said.
“The opposition spokesperson’s comments are embarrassingly incorrect and I wouldn’t trust her and her Labor colleagues to use a bucket and spade in a sandpit, let alone invest in the future of children in NSW”.