Mark Butler (Port Adelaide, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Given that the government has ruled out further cuts to foreign aid, will the Prime Minister now also reverse his cuts to the More Support for Students with Disabilities program?

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am very glad the member for Port Adelaide has asked this question because—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

The member for Lalor has been warned. He will either desist or leave.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

it gives me the opportunity to set the facts straight on a disgraceful campaign being waged by the Australian Education Union spreading lies and frightening the parents of children with disabilities at schools. Could the AEU sink any lower than frightening the parents of children with disabilities at school by spreading a campaign of lies and misinformation?

The simple facts are that the government did initiate exactly the disability loading that the previous government announced when they were in government. We did that in 2014. We delivered the disability loading that was announced by the previous government. It started in 2014. It continues in 2015. There is more money being spent this year on children with disabilities in schools than last year and the year before that. So, in fact, funds are increasing for children with disabilities across Australia because of this government. We implemented exactly the policy that Labor announced in government for the new school funding model. We do not alter it at all, other than getting Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland into the model, and putting $1.2 billion into it. So, in fact, children with disabilities are attracting more funds this year than last year and the two years before that, under the loading that the Labor Party left for this government that we implemented and will run until 2018.

The data for children with disabilities is provided by the states and territories, and that data, which has not been nationally consistent, will be nationally consistent from 2016 onwards. They are the facts. I am seeing the lobby groups associated with this this afternoon to explain to them that they have had the wool pulled over their eyes by the Australian Education Union. The AEU should hang their heads in shame. It is embarrassing that the Labor Party would join this disgraceful campaign of trying to frighten the parents of children with disabilities. It surprises me, as the Leader of the Opposition was the person who initiated the National Disability Insurance Scheme and he has prided himself on his record in that role. It should be a bipartisan issue to support children with disabilities in schools.

Mark Butler (Port Adelaide, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to table an extract from the Department of Education budget statements that confirms that this initiative will conclude in December 2014.

Leave not granted.