Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

My point, of course, is about investment in Australian education, and we not only have the member for Sturt clearly promoted to a position beyond his capabilities but we have the shadow Treasurer opposed to investment in schools and now, of course, opposed to funding for schools, because he said that if they had been in government they:

… would not have made the generous $15.1 billion Council of Australian Governments deal with the states announced last December to deliver health, hospitals, education, housing and other services …

This is his exact quote. I will await the shadow Treasurer telling the House what bit of the COAG deal he is opposed to. Is it the $600 million of new funds for primary schools? Is it the $1.1 billion of new funds for disadvantaged schools? Is it the $550 million of new funds for teacher quality? Is it the $540 million for literacy and numeracy? As well as being opposed to capital investment in schools, what else is he seeking to rip off Australian school kids and the people who teach them?

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