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

I thank the member for Deakin for that question because, of course, this is a comprehensive plan for every school in the country. It is moving away from the broken funding model of the past—something acknowledged by responsible conservatives in this country. For example, the Premier of New South Wales and his education minister, a Liberal and a National Party member, have said loudly and clearly that the current funding model is broken. It is broken and it will deny our children a world-class education, which is why I want to see every child in every school around the country have the benefit of our National Plan for School Improvement. New South Wales has signed on, the ACT has signed on, South Australia has signed on, and now is the time for the other premiers, and the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, to sign on too.

Of course, all of this is at risk because it is so bitterly opposed by the opposition, with the shadow minister for education committing the opposition to ripping these resources away if they are ever elected to government—legislating to take away resources from schools around the country. That is their way but it is not the Labor way. The Labor way is to create opportunity for every child and we are absolutely determined to get this done.

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