Airconditioning in every public school in the state, an end to privatisation and “compulsory” detox for ice addicts will occur under a Labor government, said NSW Opposition Leader Luke Foley,
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Mr Foley also used his budget reply speech to reiterate his commitment to his party’s Illawarra Jobs Action Plan, which would include an upgrade of the WIN Entertainment Centre and investment in the Maldon-Dombarton rail line.
The Labor leader said they would take $300 million from the government’s “stadium splurge" and use it to cool down schools.
“Labor, only Labor, will aircondition every public school in NSW,” Mr Foley said.
READ MORE: How the NSW budget shafted Wollongong
“Our priority is airconditioning classrooms – not corporate boxes at the Liberals’ new stadiums.
“Labor won't leave our classrooms as the only non-airconditioned state government buildings.”
Mr Foley also said surplus government land would be used to build new schools, each of which would have on-site “childcare or before and after school care facilities”.
A Labor government would “support and grow our regional centres’.
“We confirm our commitment to the Illawarra and Central Coast with comprehensive job action plan,” Mr Foley said.
This plan, announced during the Wollongong byelection in 2016, included $50 million each for the WIN Entertainment Centre and Maldon-Dombarton line and $5 million for the Mt Keira Summit Park.
It also included $40 million for a new interchange at Masters and Springhill roads, despite Roads and Maritime Services stating it had received no complaints about that intersection.
Mr Foley also guaranteed an end to privatisation, that under Labor, the sell-offs will stop”.
“Under Labor, no privatisation of our hospitals, no privatisation of water, no more electricity privatisation and no more privatisation of public transport services,” he said.
When it came to infrastructure projects, he pledged a judicial inquiry into WestConnex and Sydney Light Rail.
READ MORE: NSW budget – Illawarra spending at a glance
Labor would also legislate Infrastructure NSW to carry out annual “health checks” on projects and publish them.
There would be a focus on drug rehabilitation services to tackle the ice epidemic.
“A Labor government will combat head-on the scourge of ice with our plan for compulsory detoxification and rehabilitation of severe ice addicts,” Mr Foley said.
“We’ll take the most dangerous ice addicts off our streets and out of our state’s emergency departments and get them the help they need.”