Ms MACKLIN (3:53 PM) —Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.

The SPEAKER —Does the honourable member claim to have been misrepresented?

Ms MACKLIN —I do.

The SPEAKER —Please proceed.

Ms MACKLIN —In a press release by the Minister for Education, Science and Training today, the minister says: `Labor flags cuts to non-government schools' and goes on to say that I have made this statement. I just want to say that I have never said that Labor plans to cut funding to non-government schools. Labor has in fact provided funding for non-government schools for over three decades. What I did in fact say was that by 2004 this government—

The SPEAKER —The member for Jagajaga has indicated where she was misrepresented.

Ms MACKLIN —I just need to make plain where the misrepresentation is, Mr Speaker.

The SPEAKER —I will listen closely.

Ms MACKLIN —On the point I made that he has quoted in his press release, what I said was that by 2004 this government will be spending more on subsidies to non-government schools than it spends on higher education.