News today that the New South Wales Government is withholding payments to a contractor involved in the Building the Education Revolution is an embarrassment to Education Minister Julia Gillard.

The Nationals Senator for New South Wales John Williams said finally a Labor Government, albeit in New South Wales, has decided to act and hold the contractor to account over the new canteen debacle at Tottenham Central School.

Senator Williams said Minister Gillard had not had the decency to meet the parents from Tottenham when they protested at Parliament House earlier this month, but she should now apologise to them.

“They, like many school communities, have been shouting from the roof tops about the cost of projects, shoddy workmanship and not getting facilities they desperately needed. But the Minister has refused to listen and is playing hear no evil, see no evil.

The Tottenham scandal where a demolition job which was never undertaken but was still charged out at $23,000, and an unsatisfactory explanation for $47,000 worth of preliminary works , is symptomatic of the problems occurring on many school projects.

At a school in northern New South Wales, the parents have given me a list of problems including a paint job that was defected.

The Building the Education Revolution has been a farce from day one, and Minister Gillard is responsible.

Unlike Labor, a Coalition Government will not make promises it cannot keep”, Senator Williams said.