Media Release | Monday, 29 October 2012

COMMUTERS FORCED TO TRAVEL ON DIRTY TRAINS UNDER THE O'FARRELL GOVERNMENT

Commuters are being forced to travel on dirty trains under the O'Farrell Government – with the Newcastle, Central Coast and Western Lines recording the highest number of official complaints about dirty trains and stations in the past year.

Internal government figures obtained by the NSW Opposition have revealed there were 1,088 complaints about dirty trains and 501 complaints about dirty stations in the past year.

The worst lines for dirty trains are:

· Newcastle and Central Coast Line – 138 complaints;
· Western Line – 127 complaints;
· North Shore Line – 125 complaints;
· Airport & East Hills Line – 103 complaints; and
· Blue Mountains Line – 96 complaints.

Central, Strathfield, Wynyard, Kogarah, Bondi Junction and Blacktown recorded the most complaints for dirty station platforms.

"Passengers are fed up and visitors to Sydney are appalled by dirty trains and dirty train stations," Shadow Transport Minister, Penny Sharpe said today.

Stop the Cuts - Inner West public forum to Save our Schools and TAFE

A free public forum to discuss what the cuts to the education budget will mean for inner west students, their families and our community.

When: 6.30pm-8pm, 7 November 2012
Where: Leichhardt Town Hall, 107 Norton Street, Leichhardt

Speakers include local public and Catholic school representatives, a TAFE Fine Arts student and Gary Zadkovich, Deptuty President NSW Teachers Federation.

Come along to show your support for our local schools and TAFE!

MEDIA RELEASE| Tuesday, 16 October 2012

John Robertson MP, NSW Opposition Leader

Carmel Tebbutt MP, Shadow Minister for Education and Training

O'FARRELL SLASHES 85 STAFF AND MILLIONS FROM THE BOARD OF STUDIES - AS PART OF $1.7 BILLION CUT TO EDUCATION IN NSW

The O'Farrell Government is slashing 85 staff and $8.7 million from the Board of Studies - as part of its unprecedented $1.7 billion cut to the education system in NSW.

The Board of Studies manages the Higher School Certificate and develops NSW syllabuses for the new national curriculum.

Budget papers confirm the O'Farrell Government is cutting 50 staff and $8.7 million in funding from the Board of Studies in this financial year alone.

Internal Treasury documents reveal a further 35 expert staff will face the sack over the next four years under the O'Farrell Government's labour expense cap.

NSW Budget Estimates 2012-13 | Special Edition #1

Welcome to a special edition of Red Leather.

With Peter Slipper dominating the news cycle, there has been little coverage of what has been revealed in NSW Budget Estimates.

This is the first of a series of special editions of Red Leather that will keep you up to date with what Barry O'Farrell and his Minister's have been up to in NSW.

Regards,
Penny

Speech and video of the week: for those who haven't seen it here is the full 15 minute speech by our Prime Minister yesterday where she explains to Tony Abbott what misogyny means.

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With Peter Slipper dominating the news cycle, here’s what you may have missed from NSW Budget Estimates:

On Monday, Minister for Disability Services Andrew Constance admitted removing $25 million out of the budget for Ageing, Disability and Homecare (ADHC) during the 2011-12 financial year.

Health Minister Jillian Skinner was caught out labelling chairs as hospital beds in order to artificially inflate the number of hospital beds in NSW, and admitted that nurses will be axed under the O'Farrell Government's $3 billion cuts to public hospital funding.

Old Trains | NINE News, 9 October 2012 from Penny Sharpe on Vimeo.