Piccoli's lies continue
Posted: Friday, 3 February 2012 | By: John Robertson ,Carmel Tebbutt
Education Minister Adrian Piccoli has continued to lie about when he first knew disabled children would be left without special transport to school – and should be sacked for his appalling mismanagement, Opposition Leader John Robertson said today.
"Education Minister Adrian Piccoli has continued spinning a web of lies today over his failure to take action over the disability transport scheme debacle," Mr Robertson said.
Mr Piccoli claimed on radio this morning:
"Nobody contacted me last year, operators and alike, saying this problem would arise."
(Linda Mottram show, 3 February 2012)
Yet a letter sent to Mr Piccoli on 22 November 2011 from a contractor in the Hunter Valley warned of exactly that:
"The principals of numerous schools caring for the needs of children with disabilities are concerned transport will not be available…chaos will ensue."
(Letter sent to Adrian Piccoli, 22 November 2011).
"The Education Minister's handling of this issue has been disgraceful. He has lied again and again to the parents of these disabled children and the Premier. He must be sacked," Mr Robertson said.
To add insult to injury, the Education Department is still yet to return the calls of parents who have phoned every day this week trying to confirm transport for their children.
Serious questions have also been raised about the safety of replacement drivers – after a child in a wheelchair was secured in the back of a courier van with ratchet straps.
Parents have also questioned how working with children checks for replacement drivers have been processed in such a short period of time.
"Implementing new contracts for the transport of students with a disability is a sensitive, complex operation," Shadow Education Minister, Carmel Tebbutt said.
"A Minister on top of his portfolio should have been getting regular briefings and advice to ensure its smooth implementation. If Minister Piccoli had been doing this, the trauma for thousands of parents and students could have been avoided.
"The Minister's disgraceful handling of this issue proves he is no longer fit to be responsible for the education of hundreds of thousands of NSW school students."
Tags: Adrian Piccoli, Barry O'Farrell, Carmel Tebbutt, children, disability, education, John Robertson, transport