Member for Mulgrave Curtis Pitt has renewed his call for the Gordonvale Kindergarten – scrapped by the Newman government – to go ahead.
Mr Pitt said that in the wake of the LNP’s drubbing at last weekend’s Stafford by-election, Premier Campbell Newman candidly admitted that his government had made poor decisions.
“I put it to the Premier that the decision last year to scrap the proposed Gordonvale Kindergarten was one of those bad decisions,” Mr Pitt said.
“Last year the Newman government announced they would build a new kindergarten alongside Gordonvale State School.
“Shortly afterwards, in another example of poor judgement and muddled thinking they did a U-turn and reversed that decision.
“When questioned, Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek justified the backflip saying there was no demand for it, a conclusion that I found questionable given the advice I received from his office in June last year.
“Based on existing planning methodology using 2011 census data, the department initially found a shortage of kindergarten places in the Gordonvale local planning area and, if the proposal had not been scrapped, it would have provided up to 44 new places – for many families at low or no cost.
“It would also have made it possible for low income parents who currently can’t afford to send their children to kindy to get subsidised places.
“This kindy was not only about meeting current needs, but also future needs and it would have been great for Gordonvale, an area that is expanding.
“On behalf of Gordonvale families I call on the Newman government to commit to the original plan of building a Gordonvale kindergarten – ideally I would like to see a model similar to the services provided by the Early Years Centre at Bentley Park.
“While the Stafford by-election walloping is fresh in the government’s mind – and in this era of new found candour – I call on the Premier to admit that they got it wrong.”
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