Rowville electorate
Kim WELLS (Rowville) (14:54): (284) My question is to the Premier. When will the Premier honour his government’s free kinder mandate and actually provide sufficient funding for Knox council to keep open their 28 kinders without ratepayers being forced to carry the cost? Knox council’s recent vote to close 26 kinders in and around my electorate came as a shock to many parents who call the electorate of Rowville their home. Parents are now wondering where they will send their kids for kindergarten. In a ministers statement as recent as March of this year titled ‘government achievements’ the Premier touted that his Labor government has delivered free kinder for Victoria yet neglected to inform residents in my electorate that they would be expected to make up the massive shortfall in funding through their own council rates. Rates should not be the backup plan for making up for the shortcomings of this Labor government.