Mr HARTSUYKER (2:55 PM) —My question is addressed to the Minister for Education, Science and Training. Is the minister aware of failures by state governments to adequately fund state government schools? How has the federal government tried to ensure that state schools are better resourced, particularly in my electorate of Cowper?

Ms JULIE BISHOP (Minister for Education, Science and Training and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women’s Issues) —I thank the member for Cowper for his question. I did listen very intently to the speech he made in the House on Monday evening when he highlighted the battles that state government schools in his electorate are having with the New South Wales Labor government—

Ms Plibersek interjecting—

The SPEAKER —The member for Sydney is warned!

Ms JULIE BISHOP —to get funding for basic infrastructure needs. He cited the example of the largest state government primary school in his electorate, Narranga Primary School, which had been looking for funding for a library reading room. The New South Wales Labor government would not provide the funding, so the parents raised every single cent of funding for that library reading room. Now they find that every time they seek funding for some basic works the parents are called upon to provide the funding, whether it is for pathways, drainage or seating. In recent years, the parents of the children at this school have raised three times the amount of funding for basic capital works as the New South Wales government has provided.

Now the school is seeking funding for a school hall. This is a school with some 600 pupils. It does not have a school hall; it has no facility for assemblies, indoor sport or drama. The New South Wales government have told the school no and said that they have already been too generous to this school because a couple of years back they upgraded the toilets. So they are not going to give them any more funding for a school hall.

This is just not good enough. It is cases like this that led the Australian government to introduce the $1 billion Investing in our Schools program. State government schools across Australia are having to turn to the Commonwealth to get funding for basic infrastructure needs.

In the electorate of Cowper, already, after rounds 1 and 2, $3 million has been invested by the Commonwealth in funding for state government schools. Across New South Wales, 1,500 applications have been successful and over $100 million has now been invested by the Commonwealth. In round 3 we already have 3,000 applications. There are only 2,000 state government schools in New South Wales. For a side of politics that pretends to care about public education—

Mrs Irwin —You said—

The SPEAKER —Order! The member for Fowler is warned.

Ms JULIE BISHOP —it is astounding—

Mrs Irwin interjecting—

The SPEAKER —The member for Fowler will remove herself under standing order 94A.

The member for Fowler then left the chamber.

Ms JULIE BISHOP —It is a disgrace that state Labor governments are not investing in their schools. I call upon the federal Labor Party to require state Labor governments to properly and adequately fund state government schools.