Andrew Giles (Scullin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Schools) Share this | Hansard source

Well, you can make that contribution, but it is clear that there will be nearly $20 million less for schools in the Barker electorate over the next two years—a $20 million cut. The member for Barker should reflect on the growing gap in outcomes between metro and non-metro students in Australia at the moment and think about what this government's package of reforms is doing to counter that. The short answer is: it is exacerbating those differences. There is no model for equity in this government's approach to schools education and there is certainly no mandate to push towards excellence.

I was mentioning the member for Boothby's contribution. To be fair to the member for Boothby, she does have an interest in schools policy, which I recognise and welcome, and she did mention students. She was right to highlight the stark contrast here, because there is a stark contrast between this government and a Shorten Labor government. A Shorten Labor government would invest in our students right around Australia and would walk away from this bizarre compact that locks in inequities in funding in a way that short-changes students in public schools, particularly students in those public schools in states that are the recipients of what can only be described as uncooperative federalism by this government. I refer to South Australia today—the subject of this debate—but the same also applies to Tasmania and the Northern Territory. We are seeing students in school systems that need extra help being denied that. That is the opposite of needs based funding.

Let's be very, very clear about this. The debate before us is not a debate about David Gonski and who can appropriate him; it's a debate about needs based funding. It's about our values when it comes to schooling and its significance for people's lives and our collective wellbeing. We have not walked away from the panel report which led to the National Plan for Schools Improvement. It's that report which we cling to, which the government have walked away from. It is this that is denying South Australian students, particularly students in regional South Australia, a fair go.

One last point: the member for Boothby talked about the contribution of the member for Makin, scaring parents of students with disability. The most egregious failing of this government is short-changing students with disability. We are seeing a much larger number of students needing adjustment, and the funding envelope has not changed.

See this speech in context