Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is unacceptable in a nation that purports to be of the fair go that we have a government—a Liberal government under the leadership of Prime Minister Morrison—that is prepared to rip $14.5 billion out of public education. And they have the gall to suggest there will be no impact—'Nothing to see here'! Two out of three Australian children are educated in public schools, including the vast majority of kids who need the most help, and they include 82 per cent of the poorest children, 84 per cent of First Nations children and 74 per cent of children with disability.

Indeed, the Closing the gap report was brought down in this parliament just last week, and we saw, yet again, the continuous failure of government to reach the purported targets that it had set to improve Indigenous education. This government is much more prepared to sit back and suggest that this is a problem for state governments and a failure of the way that COAG and federation work. It did not once stand up and take responsibility itself. It did not once link the very real issues faced by First Nations kids to the fact that it rips out $14.4 billion worth of funding from public education. It thinks that this is disconnected somehow. What a hide! Not for one moment has this government considered the implications—and the betrayal of young Australians—of the course of action it pursues.

Indeed, under this Morrison government, almost nine in 10 public schools will never reach their fair funding level because the government has capped the federal funding for public schools at just 20 per cent of the schooling resource standard. This same broken model that this government is pushing out there does, however, give private schools 80 per cent of their fair funding level. I'm sorry, but—when two out of every three Australian kids are educated in the public education system—who thinks that allowing private schools to get 80 per cent of their fair share of funding is okay, while public education is capped at 20 per cent of their fair share? Seriously—who in their right mind would stand in this parliament to argue for such a broken model?

Labor understands that proper, needs based investment in public education is the best means of helping our kids achieve their potential—and that's regardless of their postcode, where they're living or their parents' bank balance. That's why, if we ever have the privilege of being elected, Labor will restore funding to public schools to ensure that every public school reaches its fair funding level. We will also restore the $14.5 billion cut by the Liberal government. In my electorate of Newcastle, that would mean almost $20 million for Newcastle schools from 2020. Twenty million dollars can make a profound difference to the education of our young people. That is, on average, each school in my electorate would receive $450,000 extra over the next three years. That means more teachers, more individual attention for kids and more support for every single child, making sure that they get the best start in life and that they get to reach their full potential.

For years, this government has tried to insist that it believes in needs based funding and that it would adhere to the principles of Labor's groundbreaking education reforms, but nothing could be further from the truth. As long as this government prioritises the privileged at the expense of those facing challenges, too many Australian kids won't get the support and attention they need to reach their potential. (Time expired)

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