Michael Danby (Melbourne Ports, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

Dr Johnson had some good advice for the members for Durack and Solomon. That was that patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel. The member for Durack undermined herself in her speech, beating her chest with patriotism, when she mentioned Curtin air base, named after a certain Prime Minister on our side of politics. You should realise, member for Durack, that there is a sincere support for the security of Australia on all sides of parliament, and it ill behoves any member to question the support for national security on this side.

Let us stick to education. Promising innovation but cutting education is not an example of the Prime Minister putting the cart before the horse; it is an example of him taking away the horse. Promising innovation but cutting education is like giving someone a fancy car, but not before removing the steering wheel. It is like giving a kid a whizzbang computer—one with all the apps and all the speed and bells and whistles—but not handing over the password. In short, promising innovation but cutting education is disingenuous. It is sneaky. And do you know what? It is not an election winning strategy.

This Prime Minister, with his affected, debonair air, thought the power of sophistry would fool the Australian people. He thought that by speaking about innovation and exciting times he would pull the wool over our eyes. He thought he could sell us a new show bag while offering the same old Liberal contents as last year.

Let me tell you something. In spite of the member for Wentworth's affected bonhomie, it has never been a more exciting time to be in opposition—never. Here we are, a few months out from an election, with polls at fifty-fifty and improving, a government at sea on tax policy and an Australian people increasingly aware that absolutely nothing has changed since the Abbott days. There is no policy difference. New show bag; same contents. Instead of economic leadership we get scare campaigns. Nobody, he said during question time, would invest because of our negative gearing proposals. What a laughable argument by exaggeration! On top of that, we get these education cuts—$30 billion, as the shadow minister for education, the member for Adelaide, explained in her remarks.

Contrast that with the Leader of the Opposition's support, and the opposition's support, for the agreed plan that the government went to the last election with: six years of needs based funding, also agreed with all the states. I repeat: the government took to the last election that there would not be a cigarette paper of difference between us and them.

How does the Prime Minister expect our next generation to innovate without the foundation that can be provided by an excellent education system? In my view and in the view of the opposition, the challenges that Australia faces—challenges made worse by the environmental policies of those opposite—can only be surmounted by a well-educated Australian public. Unlike those opposite, all on this side of the House believe that every Australian has the right to, and should have the benefit of, a properly funded quality education system. But while the Prime Minister tells us that he thinks innovation is of vital importance, he pulls the rug from under the education system that will produce the next generation of innovators.

The Prime Minister has supported, and now leads, a government which has effectively removed $30 billion from the education system. This is short-sighted. This so-called saving for the budget bottom line leaves an education budget that will fail even to keep up with the historical trend in education costs, much less produce a crop of innovators. Education is not a cost; it is an investment. The country will reap what it sows with regard to investment in education. As the shadow minister pointed out, if we stick to the proposed education reforms and fund them it will be a $44 billion net benefit in added value to the Australian economy.

That is why Labor will provide for coding to be taught in Australian schools—providing kids with the tools they need to innovate. That is why Labor will fund and implement the agreed educational reforms which we call 'Your child. Our Future'. These reforms drive opportunity, innovation and economy through education. They will help Australian kids, no matter what their background is, to get a better start in life and to leave school with the tools needed to succeed in our rapidly-changing economy and changing world.

Of course these changes are expensive, but they should not be seen merely as a cost. The cost for the $160 million plebiscite on marriage equality, the outcome of which is already known and which will have no legislative impact, is simply a cost. It is not an investment that will bring future prosperity. Surely this government of merchant bankers can tell the difference between a cost and an investment? (Time expired)

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