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Computers for schools program shed under Libs

Next year's Year 9 students will not receive free laptops if the coalition wins the election, shadow treasurer Joe Hockey says.

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Source: AAP


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Next year's Year 9 students will not receive free laptops if the coalition wins the election, shadow treasurer Joe Hockey says.

Mr Hockey has told Fairfax Radio Network the coalition will not continue the government's computers for schools program, which he described as wasteful.

Pushed on whether this meant next year's Year 9 students would not receive laptops as promised if the coalition won the election, Mr Hockey said they would not.

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"They won't get them because there is so much waste in that program," he said, adding that the coalition has yet to announce its own school computers program.

"We do not have a billion dollars for mental health if you are continuing with some of the wasteful programs of this government."

Mr Hockey said while Prime Minister Julia Gillard had promised to roll out the program at a cost of $1 billion, it had now turned into a $2 billion program with half the number of promised computers.

"From my perspective, what matters is that we actually deliver the stuff that government should deliver," he said.

"We have not announced our computers program yet but I do say this, we will not have (the federal government's) program."


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