Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I did not think we could uncouple education and productivity in any argument. To do that you would have to be a paid-up member of the Flat Earth Society. (Quorum formed) It is sad when people are objecting to an MPI on a bipartisan motion about education funding.

I was surprised to read in the paper today the part of the member for Warringah's speech to the Independent Schools Council yesterday where he said:

The 34 per cent of Australians who attend independent schools get just 21 per cent of government funding … So there is no question of injustice to public schools here. If anything, the injustice is the other way.

That is what they have flagged. They have remarked that at the moment there is too much money going into state schools. That is unbelievable. I do not know how anybody who goes to a state school in their electorate could argue that, for a start. Surely not even in Warringah would we be arguing that those schools have too much money.

The Labor government have doubled the education budget since we came to power. We built 3,000 libraries. What did they contribute over 12 years? It was 3,000 flagpoles. I will stack my libraries up against your flagpoles any day. We will make a great contribution to productivity; you will make a great contribution on Anzac Day. That is good. That is important. But I will take our 3,000 libraries any day. (Time expired)

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