Mr RIPOLL (9:40 AM) —In a very short period of time Australians will be asked to go to the polls. Many issues are very important to them, but one of the issues which I believe will be uppermost in the minds of many when they cast their vote, especially the people in the electorate of Oxley, is the future of Australia's education system. All Australians quite rightly expect an education system that is second to none. That is why we in the Australian Labor Party have always been, and always will be, committed to building and maintaining an education system that is world class. Labor believes in providing quality education for all children, regardless of the school they attend, because a first-rate education is essential to ensure that Australia fosters a nation of achievers who will lead us throughout the 21st century. That is great news for the schools in my local area, which will benefit greatly under the policies of the Australian Labor Party.

I recently received a series of letters from some of my constituents who are concerned about education funding. They indicated to me that a quality education system is extremely important to them. I agree with them. Let me assure these people, and indeed all the people of my electorate, that everyone in the Australian Labor Party considers a quality education system to be of paramount importance. A Latham Labor government would ensure that all schools in the Oxley electorate, and in fact in Australia, receive the funding they need to deliver the best outcomes for educating our children. That is why Labor will introduce a needs based funding system whereby all schools—government and non-government—strive to reach a strong national standard for resources and results. Our funding system will be good for all schools, regardless of where they are from. We will not be setting sector against sector. We will not be setting school against school. We will not be setting public against private. We will guarantee to maintain the overall level of funding for non-government schools. Labor also supports parents who choose non-government schooling for their children. It will provide public funding to all schools. Labor introduced major federal funding for non-government schools in the 1970s, and it extended this commitment through further increases under the Hawke and Keating governments. A Latham Labor government will continue that tradition.

In the not too distant future Australians will be asked to choose between a tired, out-of-puff and out-of-ideas government, led by John Howard and Peter Costello, and a new, fresh approach to government that will provide opportunities for all Australians under the leadership of Mark Latham. When it comes to education, the differences between the two choices are stark. Labor will deliver a first-class education system—and it is widely acknowledged that Labor is the party for education. In contrast, under John Howard's education policy many kids will miss out on a good education because their parents simply cannot afford it. For John Howard, the chequebook is more important than the textbook. For us in the Labor Party, all kids are equal, all schools are equal and everyone should have the same opportunities—opportunities based on merit and hard work and not based on the size of their chequebooks or the limit on their credit card.