Chris Crewther (Dunkley, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today to provide my resounding support for and endorsement of the Turnbull coalition government's budget, which was handed down just over a fortnight ago, and the many positive measures that it will provide for my electorate of Dunkley. The federal government are continuing to make the right choices so that we can ensure our nation's economic growth, the future provisioning of our health and wellbeing through fully funded institutions, and support for our intellectual, innovation and enterprise sectors.

I have previously spoken of my enthusiasm for our significant tax relief measures for small and medium-sized businesses and extending the instant asset write-off for another 12 months. Ninety-nine per cent of businesses in Dunkley, over 16,000 businesses in total, will benefit from these changes when the tax rate for small business is lowered to 27.5 per cent from 1 July.

Another measure that I have previously touched on is reform to child care, making it more accessible and affordable and providing the greatest level of assistance for those who need it the most. In Dunkley, 6,040 families use government supported child care, and the Turnbull government has recently secured the full 15 hours of preschool.

The issuing of 92,000 pension concession cards Australia-wide will also benefit a large number of people in my electorate whose senior healthcare cards were not accepted for discounts by many Victorian state government institutions. This will be remedied, and many of my constituents will see their situation improved because of it.

Through the Roads to Recovery program, the federal government is also delivering for the people of Dunkley. For example, the intersections of Foot and Baileyana streets in Frankston and Barkly Street in Mornington are just two of the projects which the federal government has provided funding for, overseen and announced the completion of since the federal election last year. I am thrilled therefore that the program will be continued.

In addition, the National Disability Insurance Scheme is something that is hotly anticipated and sorely needed on the Mornington Peninsula. I have had many people speak to me of their concerns about the welfare of family members once they can no longer look after them. I am thrilled to be communicating back to my constituents that, because the Turnbull government has now fully funded the NDIS, 2,431 people in Dunkley will be directly helped by a number of providers on the peninsula so that their families can rest easy.

One of the most positive stories to come out of the budget, though, is that the coalition will continue to provide record levels of funding for health and Medicare and will continue to guarantee Medicare's future with a dedicated fund that will protect these vital services for this generation and the next. This proves the 'Mediscare' campaign of those opposite to be false, misleading and a cruel attempt to cause Australians to panic. There have never been plans of the type asserted by those opposite. Last financial year there were over 862,000 bulk-billed GP services in Dunkley—that is, 82.9 per cent of GP visits.

While these are all wonderful outcomes, there is one component of the budget that is a stand-out to me in how it impacts upon the people of Dunkley. Our funding for schools is a prominent move towards simplifying and increasing the funding that we spend on equipping our children for the future. Twenty-seven different funding deals that Labor set up have been simplified into one consistent, needs based funding model, meaning that the funding gets to the schools who need it the most. Long-term funding certainty for Australian schools, with an additional $18.6 billion over the next decade, means that we can focus on how that money is used to support initiatives that boost student outcomes.

It is a shame that those opposite not only have shunned such a positive news story but furthermore have attempted to completely deny the facts. Any child that they are claiming has lost out on education funding could tell you that you cannot fulfil a promise or claim that you will do something if you do not have the resources to do it. Unfunded promises do not travel very far in the real world, especially amongst children, who are often the most straight to the point of us all. Government funding in schools is due to reach a record $242.3 billion from 2018 to 2027. Students from similar schools with similar needs will no longer receive different amounts of Commonwealth funding because of special deals, historical arrangements or their location. This is a real commitment to true needs based funding with quality outcomes that meet community expectations. These reforms will see differences made in every classroom for every child and teacher. This is Gonski 2.0.

It is regrettable that Labor, both at federal and state level, have already started the campaign of misinformation regarding the education funding in Dunkley. I contemplated listing all the schools in my electorate and their funding increases in this chamber to stress my point. But, if anyone concerned would like the figures, the full funding increases for each school can be found in my media release that will be going out this week. I will be more than happy to forward concerned colleagues a copy. Any parent can also look up the schools funding estimator online. Indeed, all 51 schools in Dunkley—each and every one—is receiving a funding increase under the coalition government's budget. This includes all government, Catholic and independent schools. The growth in funding to government schools will be 5.6 per cent between 2017 and 2018 and eventually 66.5 per cent by 2027. The average growth across all sectors is anticipated to be 53 per cent by 2027, which is not only necessary for all schools involved but reflects the government's enthusiasm and drive to ensure that our schools are properly funded in a responsible way that can be guaranteed. This funding is budgeted and included in the forward estimates.

Schools in my electorate are set to benefit with a total increase of federal government funding of $331 million over the next 10 years, bringing the total Commonwealth funding for Dunkley schools to $1.42 billion over the period from 2018 to 2027. I will name just a few of the schools in Dunkley receiving a boost in their funding. Mornington Secondary College will receive an increase of $229,300 next year and a total increase of more than $14 million from 2018 to 2027. Frankston High School will receive an increase of $233,000 next year and a total increase of $14,405,400 from 2018 to 2027. A final example is Elisabeth Murdoch College in Langwarrin, which will receive an increase of $247,600 next year and a total increase of more than $15,300,000 from 2018 to 2027. I encourage parents and concerned residents to bypass the virulent campaign of misinformation and see for themselves how their local school is to benefit by using, as I mentioned, the school funding estimator calculator online from the Department of Education and Training.

The funding changes have been welcomed by schools in my electorate, as demonstrated in a letter that I recently received from Chris Prior, the principal of Bayside Christian College, as recently as Monday. To paraphrase the principal, Chris Prior, they were very much in support of the policy as the new method of funding schools would result in the current discrepancies in school funding disappearing. They anticipate the certainty of funding in the future with great enthusiasm. I was very pleased when the Prime Minister, in answering a question in question time on Monday, mentioned these comments by the principal of Bayside Christian College.

Schools in my electorate, across all sectors, will receive an average increase in funding of $6,557 per student over the next decade. This funding could make the difference in being able to support a specialist teaching assistant to support a group of struggling students in a maths class or to perhaps tutor for a group of students in an accelerated engineering program. This federal funding growth means that schools will be better equipped to support teachers and new or existing initiatives such as specialist teachers or targeted intervention programs.

Commonwealth funding to government schools has been growing faster than state funding in Victoria, and this revitalised funding model is consistent with this tendency, with funding being increased for the 9,000-odd schools Australia-wide. These reforms from the Turnbull coalition government mean that families in Dunkley can be assured that they, their children and their grandchildren will receive the support and opportunities in future that they need, right throughout their schooling lives. I cannot stress enough the importance of these reforms for my electorate of Dunkley. These reforms mean that my local schools will be able to better support their students and teachers in engaging in the best methods to educate our children. These reforms mean that we can all better focus on improving student outcomes and achievements. Having a fairer funding model not only means that we can ensure that our schools will see sufficient funding but also means that the funding will be going where it is needed most and will be distributed according to a real needs-based system. Furthermore, our Gonski needs based funding provides our schools with funding certainty, enabling them to operate without fear or hesitation and to focus on the wellbeing and success of their students.

Our long-term plan to ensure transparency and consistency in the way our schools are funded will fix the deals mess that we were left by the former Labor government. This is our opportunity to secure fair, responsible, needs based funding that will benefit the 27,909 students enrolled in school in Dunkley. I implore all members not to deny my constituents, particularly the children at the schools in Dunkley, this funding for their education.

This new model of federal funding for Australian schools is wonderful news for my electorate. As I have noted, every single one of the 51 schools in Dunkley will be positively affected. We welcome the guarantee of regular funding and the increase of $371 million under our Gonski funding model. Importantly, our increased funding will be tied to reforms that evidence shows make a real difference in supporting our teachers and schools to improve student outcomes. This is a fair system that is good for our students, good for parents and good for teachers.

In conclusion, the federal budget handed down a fortnight ago contains many things to be excited about, especially for the constituents of Dunkley and me. Substantial funding has been committed to the Dunkley electorate across a number of areas. There are positive developments across all sectors and the outlook is optimistic across our health institutions, including around the security of Medicare; the rollout of the NDIS; infrastructure projects, when we receive the cooperation required from the state government; support and tax relief for small businesses; and our childcare reforms, which I mentioned previously. The change to education funding really is one of the things that I am most excited about with wins for all 51 schools secured for the next decade. It is a good thing living in Dunkley under this federal government. I commend the federal budget recently announced not only for Australians but also for my electorate of Dunkley and everyone within.

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