Josh Frydenberg (Kooyong, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

The member for Rankin might like to learn that his own state of Queensland is going to be one of the states that are going to save—and this is a cumulative amount—over $10 million from getting rid of the COAG Reform Council. You need to know that the sunny state of Queensland is also going to be a beneficiary of the COAG Reform Council not continuing and the Commonwealth is going to save over $8 million.

The member for Rankin does raise an important point about this government's commitment to funding hospitals and schools. Yes, it is true that some of the state premiers and the chief ministers were not that happy after the budget, but would you believe that, if you look at Treasury's papers, over the coming decade increased expenditure from the Commonwealth to the states is going to be tens of billions of dollars—nearly $60 billion of increased money over the decade. That is money from the Commonwealth to the states for things like hospitals and schools. In fact, hospital funding and school funding are going up between 37 and 40 per cent.

An honourable member: It is not going up.

It is. Spending is going up over the next four years and the Prime Minister has repeatedly stated that in the chamber. If you look at the government's funding commitments for hospitals and schools, it is going up year upon year upon year—40 per cent and 37 per cent for schools and hospitals. The member for Rankin is very brave because he has raised the issue of school funding. What has been the most topical issue when it comes to school funding? It has been Gonski. How much more have we put in?

See this speech in context