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

I thank the member for Robertson for her question. I understand now that the opposition will chat amongst themselves because we are talking about a topic so incredibly boring to them: that is, the future of the Australian nation and investing in Australia's children. Of course they are bored, because they have no agenda to improve schools. Indeed, they have a plan to make schools $16.2 billion worse off. I am asked by the member for Robertson, who cares so passionately about education: what are the government's plans?

I want to start this answer by noting that whilst we have just continued wrecking by the opposition saying no to investing in the potential of every Australian child, saying no to making us a stronger, smarter nation in the future, not every conservative in the country is taking this wrecking approach. I point to the approach being taken by the Minister for Education in New South Wales, Mr Piccoli, who on an earlier occasion I did insult by referring to him as a Liberal—he is a National Party member. He is out there trying to convince other conservatives in the nation that it is important to invest in the future of children. He, as a conservative, is prepared to put children first. And he, as a conservative, has yet again put a skewer into those who are seeking to deny Australian children the quality education they need.

In particular, he has been very clear about how good a deal this is for New South Wales. Mr Piccoli said:

There's nothing secret about it, we are trying to get all the facts out there. The briefings—

those are the briefings that Mr Piccoli is doing himself—

are to say that this is what we have signed and why we have signed and why we think it's a good deal. It's about putting policy ahead of politics, which is the one thing people always ask politicians to do.

Mr Piccoli goes on to say:

I hope all the states sign up.

r Piccoli is right. He is showing that it is possible to be a conservative and to care about the future of Australian children. It is possible to be a conservative and work with a federal Labor government that is determined to invest in every child's future and to properly resource our teachers, classrooms and children for generations and generations to come.

I recommend to those opposite, who are not at all interested in education, who have no plan for Australian schools except cuts to the bone, that they listen to the wise words of Mr Piccoli; he cares about Australia's children and Australia's future. Why can't this opposition do the same?

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