Ed Husic (Chifley, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

This year's budget did absolutely nothing to address the fundamental unfairness of last year's budget disaster, which locked in $30 billion of savage cuts to education. These brutal cuts will affect every student passing through Chifley classrooms. And, because of this government's budget, New South Wales will be hit with over $9.5 billion in school cuts over the next 10 years—$3.1 billion coming from Western Sydney alone. In the electorate of Chifley, 68 schools will have to deal with $270 million in cuts over the next 10 years—the electorate with the second-biggest cut in New South Wales. These cuts will have a real impact on student outcomes and teacher resources. The $30 billion in cuts is the equivalent of an average cut of $3.2 million per school. It is the same as sacking one in seven teachers. At a time when Western Sydney is growing, these cuts are dangerous and short-sighted. They will mean less individual support that can be provided to students. It will mean less in terms of essential literacy and numeracy support, with programs being cut, and less training and support for teachers.

The Australian Early Development Index shows just how these cuts will hurt the students who will need the most help. For example, in the area of Blacktown, 23.8 per cent of children are classified as 'vulnerable' in at least one part of their development. At a time when we should be closing that inequity gap, these children are being dealt a cruel blow from these cuts. Our students certainly deserve better than these cuts to the education budget. Even the government's Liberal-National Party counterparts in New South Wales are joining in the fight on this. Less than three weeks ago, on 28 May, the New South Wales Minister for Education, Adrian Piccoli, said that the New South Wales government 'continues to advocate to the federal government to honour the agreement in full'. The minister certainly owes Western Sydney answers about these cuts.

I would ask the minister a series of questions. Principally, what does he say to the disadvantaged children in Western Sydney who are hoping to change their lives through education but who have been impacted by these cuts? What does he say to the parents in Mount Druitt who want the best for their children's education but all they have seen from this government are broken promises? What does he say to the hardworking principals who just want the resources they need so that children can thrive in their classrooms? Will he ever come to his senses and scrap his unfair budget measures, which will hurt our children and their future? When will he drop those cuts and stop punishing the children of Western Sydney?

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