Brian Mitchell (Lyons, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Well, we would rather spend it on schools than banks, Sunshine!

Labor knows this too. Australian parents know their children will do better in life with a better education, and so does Labor. Australian parents know it is not only the children of the rich who deserve a quality education, and so does Labor. Every child in every school in every community in Australia deserves a quality education that bears no relationship to the wealth or social standing of their parents. Australian parents do not accept the false argument that Gonski is unaffordable. They certainly do not accept it when they see this government so willing to hand $50 billion to corporations and banks—big businesses that are posting record profits.

This morning, the Gonski bus pulled up outside this place, crammed with teachers, parents and education union representatives who have been touring Australia, talking to school communities and gathering Gonski success stories. Many of us on this side of the House went out to talk to the Gonski bus passengers. It is a shame no-one from that side of the House bothered to show up. They would have heard some remarkable stories, like the one about a boy who had been close to dropping out of school but, because of Gonski intervention, he went on to become school captain. Those opposite did not show up for the bus, but I hope they take the time to read the results of a survey released today that highlights the impact of education cuts. Half of all principals report teacher shortages, problems filling vacancies and under-resourcing; 84 per cent of principals—these are the people we entrust with our education—say the $30 billion cuts will see students miss out on help with reading, writing and maths; and 62 per cent say students with a disability or learning difficulty will miss out.

There is light on the horizon. Before Labor lost office in 2013, we implemented the first stages of Gonski and those seeds are growing and starting to bear fruit. After just three years of this extra funding, 90 per cent of principals agree the extra funding is making a significant difference in their schools. The only way we can continue to make a real difference to education in this country is to vote in a Labor government at the next election and make sure that Gonski and needs based funding continue into the long term.

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