Milton Dick (Oxley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I will take that interjection. I will be honest with them, because that is what they deserve. We know that over the past four years they have zigged and zagged, gone backwards and forwards, but they still have not landed a credible education policy. Who can forget that the Prime Minister at one stage thought that the government should withdraw all funding from state schools? Remember that one? The government should just walk away from state schools altogether. Well, they might not have completely walked away; they just ripped out $22 billion.

Government members interjecting—

And they are all still interjecting. They are all still trying to defend the indefensible. If I was a representative in this place seeing a $19 million cut to schools in my electorate, like the member for Gilmore is, I would get up in this place and make some noise. I would not simply sit back and give them a clap and say, 'You're getting a gift.' It is high time that this government faced the music. When they go back to their P&Cs, when they have the guts to turn up to their local parish schools and explain themselves, they will find a very hostile reception from those parents and school communities.

We know that what this means is that 85 per cent of public schools will not have reached their fair funding level by 2027, some eight years from now. Under their model, less than 50 per cent of extra funding goes back to public schools. We know that when it comes to education—when it comes to the transformative power of education—the community can depend on Bill Shorten and Labor. The community can know that they have a true advocate with Tanya Plibersek fighting for them every single day in this country. (Time expired)

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