Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

We certainly are aware that the government can provide this literacy support directly to schools in either the government or non-government sector now—and I made that clear in my remarks. I certainly hope that is the intention of the Minister for Education, Science and Training so that those children who have been waiting years for this literacy support will get it and get it quickly. I think the quickest way of delivering it will be to deliver it through government schools, non-government schools or the big non-government schools system. If that is what the minister has in mind, that is good and I am very happy to hear it. What we are trying to do through this amendment is not get in the way of that. It will not get in the way of the minister doing that if that is what she thinks is the quickest way to deliver the support. What we are trying to do is make sure that any private organisations that are going to become brokers for this money actually meet the probity rules that apply to other organisations under the act. Plainly, the minister has not accepted the amendment in the way in which it has been proposed. That is very disappointing. All I can say is that I hope she is going to take the opportunity that the act does provide to deliver this money through schools. In that way the money will get to the students very quickly.

Question put:

That the amendment (Ms Macklin’s) be agreed to.

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