Huge Information night — but Labor are a No Show. Afraid to explain Skyscraper School to parents?

  After dropping the disruptive, upsetting plan on the families of Perth Mod, Labor was unable to find a single person to defend Education Central. Instead, nearly one third of  families affected managed to come on short notice and nearly every other party managed to find a representative. Panel members included Peter Collier (Minister of Education, Lib), Mike Nahan (Treasurer, WA, Lib), Alison Xamon (Greens),  Julie Matheson and Andrew Mangano (Julie Matheson for Western Australia Party) plus local M.P.s Elani Evangel (Perth), and Michael Sutherland (Mt Lawley).

Mark McGowan, Sue Ellery, Peter Carey, Simon Millman and Alannah MacTiernan were invited but not present. The Labor party did not even send a substitute. How much do they love this Flagship project? Not. The Tower of Babylon is a lemon.

Pauline Hanson sent apologies and the message: “Schools were not meant to be offices. Kids need a balance of outdoor activities on ovals and in playgrounds as well as in the classroom.”

It was standing room only with an estimated 200 people. Packed.

Businessnews Western Australia reports: Labor’s education spokeswoman, Sue Ellery, said although she was unable to attend tonight’s meeting she has discussed the issue with the parents representatives on Sunday. If Labor wins Saturdays election, Ms Ellery undertook to consult fully with relevant groups to ensure the smooth implementation of the policy. But she indicated there was little room for compromise, saying ‘the policy is the policy”. –see Labor’s Modern School Backlash

But there are no “parents representatives”. Sue Ellery has met with a string of angry individual parents, but because this bombshell was dropped on the families of Perth Modern School during an election campaign, there are no organised representatives on this topic. Just 1,000 angry families.

Consultation about the color of the walls after a decision that no Perth Mod family had a say in is not consultation.

The Labor Party could have discussed this a year ago.  Leaving it to the last minute suggests they knew Perth Mod families would not want it and didn’t want to allow them time to protest. Except they are. Teams are working to inform voters of the office-block-school for 11 year olds that’s next to pubs and drugs and of the $40m hole in the future budget for Mt Lawley SHS and Churchlands SHS.  (Contact us to offer to help!)