Janelle Saffin (Page, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth. Will the minister please outline the importance of government making the right choices to support school students and their families?

Peter Garrett (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This Labor government has a proud history of investment in schools. But what we build up, the Liberal Party is intent on tearing down. We are seeing the biggest cuts to education in New South Wales in decades—the biggest cuts since the Liberals were last in power. These cuts will impact on families, on teachers and on disadvantaged students.

I have noticed all kinds of excuses from the New South Wales government. The Premier said yesterday that money does not matter in schools. That is wrong. Targeted investments make a difference in schools. But do not take it from me—I had an opportunity to read one of the submissions to the Gonski panel on school funding. That submission said, 'Australia must increase school funding at least to the OECD average.' It went on to say, 'The Gillard government's National Partnership investment should be maintained. Many advances will be lost if the extra funding ceases.' Who said that? It was Barry O'Farrell's New South Wales government submission to the Gonski review. He agrees that we need to invest more—and why? Because it is working. Then he turns around and delivers the biggest cuts to education in New South Wales in decades.

The second excuse made by the New South Wales government was that they had to cut schools funding because GST revenue is down. That is also completely wrong. The New South Wales minister yesterday issued a press release saying he had to cut schools funding because of a huge drop in GST revenue and he asked me to speak to the Treasurer about it. I did speak to the Treasurer—and guess what? New South Wales revenues are rising. Over the next four years, New South Wales GST revenue is projected to rise by 18 per cent. GST revenues in New South Wales are going up while Barry O'Farrell and the Liberal Party cut education funding.

The truth is, whatever the excuses of the New South Wales government, this is all about choices. We on this side of the House, as a Labor government, choose to support investment in education because we know that good jobs in the future are absolutely reliant on a good education—a good education, a good job. If you choose to cut funding to school education, that is a choice that you, as a government, will be judged by. In New South Wales, all we are seeing from the Liberals is cut, cut, cut.

The Leader of the Opposition is famously on the record saying that he thinks support for government schools is an injustice. We have a shadow Treasurer planning $2.8 billion worth of cuts to schools and we have a shadow minister for education who thinks one in seven teachers should be sacked. We build it up; all they want to do is cut. (Time expired)

Janelle Saffin (Page, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Deputy Speaker, I ask a supplementary question. Minister, how is the government supporting schools in my electorate of Page and what would be the impact of cutting school funding?

Peter Garrett (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Page for her question. The Gillard government's investments have seen 29 libraries, 19 multipurpose halls, 42 classrooms, six trades training centres and 9,000 computers delivered to the schools in her electorate. The Gonski review found that our system is falling behind and that additional targeted investment is needed to make sure every student can do their best. This government is prepared to act on those findings, but regrettably New South Wales is going in the opposite direction.

The effect of that is likely to be felt right across the state. The director of the Association of Independent Schools in New South Wales has stated that the cuts will mean that front-line teaching jobs will be axed or that there will be significant fee increases. The director of Catholic schools in Lismore has said that up to 25 teaching positions could be lost. The Northern Star had what I thought was the most damning assessment of all. A mother with children in local Catholic schools said: 'I didn't sleep last night because I know Catholic schools do not make a profit, so their fees would have to rise to reflect that cut.' I understand why that woman is so worried. She is trying to do the best she can for her children. It is for that same reason that I, as minister, and this Labor government are intent on pursuing a national plan for school improvement. We believe in investing and we believe in building up our schools, but all we see from the Liberals is an intention to cut them down. (Time expired)