TAXPAYERS PAY FOR GOVERNMENT'S SLOW DEALING WITH ABC LEARNING
TAXPAYERS PAY FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S SLOWNESS DEALING WITH ABC LEARNING
The Member for Berowra, Philip Ruddock said today that taxpayers are being forced to foot an extra $34 million bill as a result of the Rudd Government’s mishandling of the ABC Learning crisis.
“Due to their own mismanagement and slowness to react the Rudd Government had no choice but to find the $34million to make sure that thousands of families were not left without childcare in the New Year,” Mr Ruddock said.
“In my own electorate one ABC Learning Centre at West Pennant Hills will require Government support.”
“The Federal government’s action does not provide certainty for many families. The Government promised they were working on a contingency plan back in September – there was obviously never any such plan. If they had been on top of this and offered a solution earlier taxpayers might not be facing a further $34 million bill to support ABC Centres.”
“The Federal government claims that many of the 241 Centres on the unviable list might be viable under a different business model. But there is no doubt these Centres will suffer a mass exodus of families in the coming weeks – putting their viability at even further risk, and making the future of those Centres even more uncertain.”