Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Acting Prime Minister. I refer the Acting Prime Minister to the Auditor-General's report on the government's $540 million literacy and numeracy program that revealed no improvement in literacy or numeracy in schools receiving the additional funding when compared to those that did not. Why is the government squeezing Australians with the world's biggest carbon tax when it is wasting $540 million on a literacy and numeracy program that has not improved children's ability to read and write?

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I most certainly do not accept his characterisation of that program at all. Here we are again with another—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The members opposite have asked a question; I thought they would like to hear an answer. The Acting Prime Minister has the call.

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do not accept that characterisation whatsoever. The fact is that this government's commitment to education is there for all to see in terms of the resources that have been put in in recent years, all of the efforts to lift the quality of teaching and all of the additional resources that have been provided to disadvantaged schools. We are absolutely proud of what we have done in the area of education. I do not accept that characterisation for one minute and, from our point of view, we will continue to do everything we possibly can to lift the quality and standard of education in our country, which is already high.

We understand, particularly given the global developments that are occurring and developments in our region, that we have to do more—and we will continue to do that. We are proud of what we have achieved in education.