PRUE CAR MP
NSW LABOR DEPUTY LEADER
NSW SHADOW MINISTER FOR EDUCATION
JOURNALIST: We’ll start with the Catholic teachers strike, they’ve gone on strike today, what’s your message to them? And what do you think should be done?

PRUE CAR, NSW LABOR DEPUTY LEADER: Well, right across NSW we’re seeing key workers who have gotten us through the pandemic teachers, nurses paramedics, who simply cannot afford to pay their rents, their mortgages, keep food on their family tables. The cost of living in NSW is going through the roof, the government is making it harder and harder, with tolls, fines, taxes and charges. This Perrottet Government is the highest taxing government of any government in the country and teachers are really struggling. The government needs to come to the table for public school teachers and we urge the Catholic school system to come to the table to see where their teachers are coming from also.

JOURNALIST: And now today, the state government just talked about the next stages of the upgrade of the development of the Jordan Springs Public School. What do you think about it?

CAR: Well, here in Jordan Springs it’s the story of what the government have done to schools in Western Sydney. It’s one of the worst examples, this community had to fight, jump up and down to get this primary school built for this new and growing community and it was built too small. Now they’re playing catch up with stage two. On top of this, the government simply refuses to admit that we need a high school here in Jordan Springs. Where are our children going to go after year six? Time and time again for five years as Treasurer, Dominic Perrottet refused to fund the Jordan Springs high school and this community desperately needs a high school in Jordan Springs. Only someone as out of touch as Dominic Perrottet would come to a new suburb like Jordan Springs, refuse to commit to a high school yet again and expect a pat on the back.

JOURNALIST: So you want a high school?

CAR: Well, this community had to jump up and down to get a public school built. It is a rapidly growing community that we had to fight for our own primary school here in this community. When it was built, it was too small and now the government is playing catch up. There are already demountable on this site, even though the school is basically brand new. Now the government simply refuses to admit that we need a high school here in Jordan Springs. It is nonsensical. Where are our children supposed to go once they get to year six? This suburb is only growing, on the other side of this suburb is an even more overcrowded school in Ropes Crossing. But time after time, Dominic Perrottet refuses to fund the Jordan Springs high school, only Dom Perrottet would come to a suburb like Jordan Springs, refuse to commit to what this community needs and expect a congratulations, expect a pat on the back.

JOURNALIST: Has Labor committed to building the Jordan Springs school should you win the election?

CAR: As the local Member and the Shadow Minister for Education, I’ve been fighting with the community every step of the way to make the government aware that we need a high school in Jordan Springs. We are looking forward to the budget to see some sort of financial commitment and an acknowledgement that we need a high school in Jordan Springs, and we wait to see what the government has in its next budget.

JOURNALIST: [Inaudible]

CAR: We wait to see what the government will announce in its budget. I will continue working with the Jordan Springs community to make the case for Jordan Springs High School, just like I did as their local Member to deliver the Jordan Springs Public School.

JOURNALIST: Catholic school teachers on strike today, their unions indicated that they effectively pegged their salary increases, even though they are paid more, but they pegged them to public increases. What’s your response to that?

CAR: The truth is that teachers like so many other key workers across NSW, who have got us through the pandemic, kept our kids educated, kept us fed, healthy and safe, cannot afford to feed their families. They can’t pay rent or mortgages in Sydney and this government is making cost of living even worse each and every day. The highest taxing government of any government in the country, driving up tolls, fines, taxes and charges. Here in Jordan Springs near Penrith, people are paying tolls through the roof just to get around Sydney and teachers simply can’t afford to live. I would urge the government again to come to the table for public school teachers, and of course the Catholic system to come to the table to understand that Catholic school teachers also need a pay increase, and need desperately for all systems to hire more teachers because of the chronic teacher shortage right across our classrooms.