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

Before you insult a number of vice-chancellors, can I refer you to the Group of Eight’s public statement on this matter.

On the question of teacher quality cuts—and I thank the member for Melbourne Ports for asking me—we are investing in teacher quality, including bringing the best and brightest graduates into teaching. We are investing in paying the best teachers more to go to the classrooms that need them the most. We are investing in more independence and autonomy for public school principals. The threat to that investment is of course from the Leader of the Opposition, who would cut all of this funding should he become Prime Minister of this country. That would be a fundamental attack on the quality of schooling in this country, meaning that some of these reform measures and drives—and I note the Deputy Speaker is from Western Australia—including empowering public school principals to be the principals of independent schools—(Time expired)

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