Labor sends confidential Budget documents to opposition
A CONFIDENTIAL state Budget briefing has been accidentally sent to the Opposition in an embarrassing bureaucratic bungle, letting slip details on school upgrades.
Education
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A CONFIDENTIAL state Budget briefing has been accidentally sent to the Opposition in an embarrassing bureaucratic bungle.
The draft briefing, dated April 24, details key education spending to be revealed Tuesday’s Budget, including $1.38 billion on buildings and upgrades for schools, early childhood learning and higher education.
The document also includes the “main speaking points” for Department of Treasury and Finance Secretary David Martine, plugging initiatives to improve teaching and career guidance for students.
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The Budget snapshot was mistakenly sent from a government staffer to the state Opposition on Thursday.
Shadow Treasurer Michael O’Brien said it was a massive “Budget bungle”.
“Labor has been leaking so much of this year’s Budget that it seems the public service is now getting in on the act,” he said.
“If Labor can’t even manage basic Budget security, how can Victorians rely on Labor to keep them safe?”
The briefing note, listed as draft and subject to change, says more than $3.6 billion will be dedicated to education and training “output and asset initiatives” over five years.
The majority will be spent on schools, with “training, higher education and workforce development” to receive the next largest slice of the pie.
The government refused to discuss the numbers on Thursday night but, if draft figures are replicated on Tuesday, spending on school assets would nearly double what was included in the 2017-18 Budget.
The briefing also says that the Department of Education and Training’s spending will grow 3.3 per cent on the previous year.
“New investment in schools will support improvement in the quality and performance of teaching to lift outcomes for all Victorian students, giving every student the chance to succeed in learning and in life,” the briefing says.
“Initiatives from this Budget will help provide students with up-to-date information and guidance on careers and vocational pathways, as well as initiatives to support young people get the skills they need for good jobs sooner.
“This means students can make better informed decisions about their future.”
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