Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the assistant minister for her opening remarks. How very disappointing, however, to hear her talk about how we can't fund education properly because we can't keep printing taxpayers' dollars, and that we all have to live within our means. There's no question at all that if this government had its priorities right, it would not be making $80 billion worth of big business tax cuts and cutting education funding at the same time.

This budget is particularly disappointing when it comes to education because we can draw a parallel: between the $17 billion cut from our schools over the next decade, compared with what Labor's formula would have delivered for these schools. And there is the $17 billion of big business tax cuts that will go directly to the banks. I think if you asked the average person in the street whether they would rather spend $17 billion of their—indeed—taxpayers' money on a tax cut to the big banks or on proper funding of our schools, I'm pretty sure I know what they would answer.

This budget locks in a completely inequitable funding formula, with the government capping its share of funding for public schools at 20 per cent of the schooling resource standard and contributing 80 per cent for private schools. I don't know in what weird definition of 'sector-blind' this government came up with the idea that public schools should have 20 per cent of their needs funded by the Commonwealth and private schools should have 80 per cent of their needs met by the Commonwealth. In what world is that sector-blind? It actually could not be more sector-specific. This funding model is neither fair nor sector-blind nor needs based.

Incidentally, we've heard a lot about the second Gonski review and the 23 recommendations. The government, apparently, has accepted those 23 recommendations but there is nothing in this budget to reflect that. For example, one of the recommendations is for an evidence institute. Earlier this year, Labor committed to funding for an evidence institute. We set aside $280 million over a decade so that we do this properly. How much in this budget is set aside for an evidence institute? The government, apparently, has accepted the recommendations, they've said that they'll fund it, but what? Big fat zero in this budget. There is no new money attached to any of the 23 recommendations.

When it comes to universities, this budget locks in $2.2 billion of cuts that were made last December. Of course we don't think that's fair, and we've already said that we would return to a demand driven system. Modelling from the Mitchell Institute shows that the government's cuts—the capping of the demand driven system—means that about 200,000 more people will benefit from our plan over 12 years to uncap the system.

I'd like the government to explain how these $2.2 billion of cuts are going to benefit Australian students. Today is National TAFE Day, and there is another $270 million cut from TAFE in this budget. We've got skills shortages and unemployed people. We've got terrible youth unemployment and older workers retraining to meet the needs of a changing economy, so what does this government do? It cuts $270 million from TAFE. What an extraordinary decision, coming on top of $3 billion of cuts to TAFE training and apprenticeships! There are 140,000 fewer apprentices today than when these Liberals came to office. Bricklayers, carpenters, cooks and hairdressers have all been on the National Skills Needs List for the entire time this government's been in office. We could have trained a few more of those.

Labor have said that we will restore funding to TAFE, including scrapping up-front fees for 100,000 TAFE students who choose to learn the skills that Australia needs; guaranteeing that at least two out of three Commonwealth dollars go to TAFE; providing 10,000 pre-apprenticeship programs for young people who want to learn a trade and 20,000 adult apprentice programs for older workers who want to retrain; and $100 million to reinvest in modernising and upgrading TAFE facilities around the country. All of my colleagues who visit TAFEs see that, despite the great work TAFEs do, their facilities in many instances are very run down because of the cumulative effects of the Commonwealth government cuts and the state government cuts.

We've also said that one in 10 jobs on Commonwealth projects will be Australian apprentices and trainees. This government's also making 280,000 families worse off because of their childcare changes. What an appalling attack on families!

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