Why Not Promise A Billion Trees?

November 16, 2007 at 4:46 am | In 2007 Federal Election, Australia |

By AR - Kevin07’s promise to provide a PC at school for every schoolchild in years 9-12 sounds like one of those promises that sound good but end up in the too hard basket when it comes time to deliver. When I heard it, I was reminded immediately of the “no child in poverty” and “one billion trees” promises by an earlier Kevin07… sorry, ALP leader.

Census 2006 states there are 1.275 million high school students in Australia. Let’s say there are 800,000 in years 9,10,11,12. 800,000 PCs, plus software, plus installation, plus routers and switches and cabling, plus floorspace, plus air-conditioned rooms, plus carbon offsets??? (they’ll use electricity, eh), plus firewalls and internet access, plus ongoing IT support… The cost of this little promise is climbing rapidly.

I can see this promise being shelved, or more likely they’ll suddenly acknowledge 90% odd of high school students already have access to a (shared) PC at school and at home and the promise will be… re-framed.

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