NSW Liberal Party launch: Premier’s pledge to secure children’s financial future

Premier Dominic Perrottet will today unveil his biggest election policy to date, with a “game-changing plan” he claims will secure the financial future of NSW’s children.

Premier Dominic Perrottet will today unveil his biggest election policy to date, with a “game-changing plan” he claims will secure the financial future of NSW’s children.

While the details of the announcement are being kept under wraps until the Liberal Party campaign launch on Sunday, it can be revealed the cost of the policy will amount to “hundreds of millions” of dollars and cover financial security, housing and education.

More than 300 guests are expected to attend the launch at a venue in the Liberal-held seat of Holsworthy, although federal Liberal leader Peter Dutton will not be among them.

The desire to sell Mr Perrottet as a fresh start for a Coalition trying to claim a historic fourth term will also mean no former premiers will attend, with only former prime minister John Howard attending in his capacity as a “life party member”.

The Sunday Telegraph can reveal the Premier will also use his speech to announce a $1.2 billion package to deliver 19 new and upgraded schools.

Dominic Perrottet will launch the Liberal Party’s election campaign today (Sunday). Picture: NCA NewsWire / Tim Pascoe

The funding commitment will deliver major upgrades at Winston Hills Public and Clovelly Public, and new high schools in the southwest and Jordan Springs. It will also deliver smaller upgrades to more than 1000 schools.

The Coalition is expected to announce how the remaining $580 million of the education package will be spent over the next two weeks.

Mr Perrottet will also announce a new selective high school for 1000 students at Box Hill in Sydney’s northwest, to go with new selective schools announced at Leppington and Westmead.

In his speech, Mr Perrottet will put the case that it is the Coalition putting forward the “game-changing ideas”, such as tackling the concerns of every parent about how to offer their children better opportunities than they had.

He will cite a poll which found that 73 per cent of parents were concerned their children would not be able to afford a home in the future.

Mr Perrottet is expected to say: “I know every single parent here today and across this state shares one thing in common — from the moment our children are born, we worry about them constantly and would do anything to ensure they have better opportunities than we did.

“How do young people get ahead in uncertain economic times? How do they set up their financial foundations for life? How do we provide the gift of opportunity?”

Mr Perrottet will also spruik the government’s record on infrastructure — “our record is etched in the skylines of our cities and regions for all to see” — and compare the state of the economy to when Labor was in power: “The slowest economic growth of any major state”.

“It is the undisputed truth that NSW is a much better place than it was 12 years ago and I am proud to say that it is Liberal values that made it possible,” he will declare.

While Mr Perrottet will focus on policy, Treasurer Matt Kean will use his speech to attack Labor’s Chris Minns.

Got a news tip? Email [e-mail]