Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. On Channel 10 yesterday the Prime Minister said, 'We are going to keep the promise that we actually made.' What guarantee can the Prime Minister give that under his latest scheme schools will not be worse off as a result of actions by the Commonwealth or state governments?

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the Leader of the Opposition for the question. The best guarantee we can give is that we are not like members opposite, who make solemn pledges before an election and break them afterwards. The problem with the Leader of the Opposition is that he is not capable of changing his question time strategy quickly.

I want to make it absolutely crystal clear that this government is cleaning up Labor's mess, the mess that the Leader of the Opposition left by cutting $1.2 billion from school funding in the pre-election fiscal outlook statement. So we are cleaning up Labor's mess and we are keeping our commitments.

Ms Owens interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Parramatta will desist.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Schools will get $2.8 billion more under this government over the four-year period. That is $1.2 billion more than they were left with under this shambolic former education minister.