Peter Garrett (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for La Trobe for that question. It certainly is the case that, for Labor members of parliament, one of the most important things they do is maintain close contact with their school community, because there is such a great deal that has happened in education since we came into government. The fact is that there has never been a period of time when the level of investment by a federal government in education has been so significant and far reaching and the level of attention to policy reform has been so specific and the delivery of support into every school in the country has been so evident. I am absolutely thrilled to hear from the member for La Trobe that, for example, the trades training centre investment this government is making is appreciated in her electorate. Before the member for Sturt, the shadow minister for education, fled the Federation Chamber, having been in here for all of ten minutes and having asked one question, I was making the point that the coalition has on record cuts of $2.8 billion in education—the spirit of which was confirmed by the shadow minister in his interview with Paul Bongiorno last year—including a commitment that would have seen over a billion dollars cut out of the trades training centre program. It is extraordinary when you think about it, because those trades training centres are making an incredible difference in schools that have access to them right around the country.

I know that for members—the member for La Trobe in particular—this is even more important when you consider some of the really difficult issues that are emerging as the Baillieu government starts to make cuts in education, including cuts to TAFE training in Victoria—which, I have to say, I think has always been one of the best TAFE systems in the country. Victoria's economy in the past, under the stewardship of Premier Bracks and Premier Brumby, was in a position to capitalise on the need for well-trained, well-skilled people to come through the school system and into TAFE. Now, of course, that is jeopardised as well. I am particularly concerned to hear that there are threats to the investment that this Commonwealth government—this Labor government—is making across areas like the literacy and numeracy national partnership. I have always said to the states that we want to provide that extra support and investment that we think can make a difference in school systems. It is not intended that states should simply take advantage of the fact that we have a profound commitment to education and seek to defray or reduce their investment as a consequence.

The member for La Trobe asked me a question that would be of interest to her and to some of the schools and her constituents, including St Joseph's in Ferntree Gully, about the commitment to Indigenous education. This is something that I know that everybody in the House recognises as an important and ongoing issue and a challenge for governments, including for the federal government. I am extremely pleased to say that we are starting to see signs of progress in Indigenous communities, including in the areas of education. Even this morning we saw a report in the Australian about the kind of uptake that we are seeing both in employment and last week, under Minister Macklin, in terms of the provision of housing. We are genuinely making progress there, and the budget was very clear that we were going to continue to provide that level of investment.

I was particularly keen that we were able to have substantial delivery through the budget in Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory—some $3.4 billion in the 10-year package—and that goes across a range of areas: primary health care, food security, making sure that we have got access to quality education for Aboriginal kids, and nearly $20 million for 50 additional Working on Country ranger positions. I know that in my previous portfolio I was particularly keen to see that happen, and in the budget we have provided the opportunity for Indigenous ranger cadetships to be applied in pilots around the country as well, and I announced that last week.

In particular, I want to draw attention to two things of importance. Teach Remote is another investment to attract and retain high calibre teachers in remote areas—some $14 million that we have invested there. That is something that I think students and potential teachers in the member for La Trobe's electorate would be interested in. There is more we can do, but we have already— (Time expired)

See this speech in context