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Thursday, 22 March 2012
Page: 2619

Education Funding

Senator KROGER (Victoria—Chief Opposition Whip in the Senate) (14:59): My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth, Senator Kim Carr. I refer the minister to the concerns raised by Catholic and independent schools about the federal government's refusal to release data enabling them to assess the impact of the Gonski review's funding changes. The Victorian government believes the data and modelling is being withheld to stop the states from testing the Prime Minister's promise that no school would lose a single dollar. Is the federal government withholding the data because it knows it has once again broken a promise, and families at Catholic and independent schools will face fee increases? What is the government hiding?

Senator KIM CARR (Victoria—Minister for Human Services) (15:00): I thank Senator Kroger for her question. I noted the comments that were made by the Victorian government in regard to school funding, but any fair-minded person—and I am sure that would include you, Senator Kroger—would have to acknowledge that the Victorian government do not come to this issue with clean hands, particularly when it comes to their program of reduction of funding for schools in the state of Victoria. I take this opportunity to remind the Senate that, in regard to the position that is taken on school funding, this is a government that is committed to ensuring that Australian schools—no matter what their denomination, no matter whether they are public or private—are funded at the highest possible level to ensure that every child in this country gets the best start in life.

What we need to do when it comes to the issue of the Gonski report is to acknowledge also that, while the government on one hand are spending record amounts of money on school education, the Liberal Party has taken another view. It has done its sums very much on the back of an envelope. Its views and its critique of the Gonski report use out-of-date figures. There is no suggestion anywhere here that the government intends to reduce funding. There has been no suggestion by this government at any point other than that it is now in the business of ensuring that there is a proper discussion about the implications of the Gonski report. What it will need to do is ensure that every child continues to get a fair go when it comes to school funding, whether their funds come from the Commonwealth or from state governments. The Liberal Party's attitude is clearly based on assumptions which are incorrect. It is predicating its claims on way out-of-date figures and I suggest, Senator Kroger, that perhaps you get a better briefing on this matter.

Senator KROGER (Victoria—Chief Opposition Whip in the Senate) (15:02): Mr President, I have a supplementary question. Minister, parents from Donvale Christian College in the electorate of Deakin in Victoria have been beating a path to my door, alarmed about 'a dark cloud of uncertainty about future funding' for their school. Will the government guarantee that there will be no fee increases from any of its funding reforms and that future funding will be indexed?

Senator KIM CARR (Victoria—Minister for Human Services) (15:02): Senator Kroger, I trust that you are able to have a more informed conversation about the Gonski report with constituents who present themselves at your office. The Gonski report does not recommend that this government or any government reduce funding. On the contrary, it recommends increases in support for school education in this country. The government's response, unambiguously, has been to say that indexation—and you specifically raised the question of indexation—will be a feature of any future funding arrangement. The government has also committed to any new funding model to be adjusted and that any transitional arrangements put in place will be such that no school will lose a dollar per student as a result of this funding review. That is a commitment that this government has made repeatedly.

Senator KROGER (Victoria—Chief Opposition Whip in the Senate) (15:03): Mr President, I have a final supplementary question. Minister, these same parents from Donvale Christian College are worried that the Gillard government has used this review of school funding to disadvantage not only their children but also all children in independent schools. Why is the government dragging schoolchildren and their parents into the relaunch of your class warfare in this country?

Senator KIM CARR (Victoria—Minister for Human Services) (15:04): I always enjoy a Dorothy Dixer on a Thursday afternoon. We have heard from the knuckle draggers yet again on this issue—the extraordinary ignorance of those opposite when it comes to the question of fundamental principles of public education. The only party that is actually seeking to cut education in this parliament, as far as I am aware, is the Liberal Party. The Liberal Party put a position in its last budget response that it would take $2.8 billion out and reduce education opportunities for Australians right across this Commonwealth. There would be cuts to trade training schools under a Liberal government. There would be cuts to the digital resources available to students under a Liberal government. Teacher quality would be undermined by a Liberal government. We would see programs to support poor communities in this country undermined by a Liberal government. This is a government that is in the business of— (Time expired)

Senator Chris Evans: Mr President, I very much enjoyed Senator Carr's response, but I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.