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

I genuinely thank the shadow minister for this question because what it enables me to say to the House is a point that needs to be made. It is that the Liberal Party in government talked about things to do with education—it just did not get anything done. It talked about transparency but never got anything done. It talked about a national curriculum but never got anything done. It talked about improving teacher quality but never got anything done. It talked about principal autonomy but never got anything done. The Liberal policy about education is no more than this: get a cheap line, make a cheap statement, see if you can get yourself in the newspaper. If you are really desperate, claim that there is a Maoist in a curriculum board—that was always a good one. Get yourself a run in the Australian newspaper; go home and look in the mirror and say to yourself ‘job well done’.

The problem for the Liberal Party about that approach to education, which is what they did for over 10 long years, is that it was all about them talking about themselves and not one bit of it—not one skerrick, not one minute of effort—was ever about the kids. That came last on their agenda: actually making a difference in Australian schools for Australian school children. We are a government that believes in getting things done, in the hard work necessary to drive the reforms in Australian schools that will make a difference for the kids. That is why transparency will be delivered at the start of next year. Transparency, so that we know what is happening in Australian schools. That is why a national curriculum is being developed and delivered. That is why we are driving reforms in teacher quality and school leadership. That is why we are already seeing the best of our teachers teaching in the disadvantaged classrooms that need them most. That is why we have got Teach for Australia to bring a new cohort of high performing graduates into teaching. That is why we have got HECS relief initiatives to bring maths and science specialists into teaching. That is why we have got a $1.5 billion partnership for disadvantaged schools.

Now, it should amaze and disgust this House that when I became Minister for Education you could not get a list of disadvantaged schools in this country.

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