Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Acting Prime Minister. The National Party education minister in New South Wales, Adrian Piccoli, said about Labor's plan for extra school funding:

… the Nationals supported the Gonski reforms right from the start. It's good policy, that really benefits country schools and country kids … we don't play politics with our children's future.

Does the Acting Prime Minister agree with his Nationals colleague, Adrian Piccoli, or will he continue to make excuses for the government's policies of cuts that will see every country kid in every country school worse off?

Mr Chester interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Minister for Infrastructure and Transport will cease interjecting.

Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for Sydney for her question. Might I say that not only are we putting more money into education than they ever did, but each year we are putting in more money than we did the previous year. So what we are actually seeing—

Ms Plibersek interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Sydney is warned.

Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

is that the Labor Party have a direct interest in this. Their interest is with the Teachers Federation to make sure that one of their champions, who hand out for them at every polling booth and who have nothing in mind except to get rid of the coalition government, continues to be supported.

I can say that since about 1988 there has been a doubling in real terms in the education funding for our students in this nation. But one of the things we are dealing with, unfortunately, especially under Labor governments, is that our PISA levels against our other trading partners have been falling. What we can also acknowledge is that the Labor Party has this—almost—vendetta against independent schools, a vendetta against Catholic schools and a vendetta against anybody but the people in the public school sector. We say that it is a person's choice where they send their kids and we want to support that choice. It is one of the clear differentiations between our side of the House and their side of the House.

Our belief is not only in a strong public school network but also in a strong private and independent school network. Ours is a belief in people's choices, a belief in the Catholic school system, a belief in the independent school system and a belief in the Lutheran school system. What we always get from the Labor Party is a diatribe that is punched out by the Teachers Federation because they are their union mates helping them out.

If there is one group of people who are always looking after regional Australia, it would be the National Party and our Country Liberal friends, because we believe in actually living there. We actually have seats there. We actually represent the people there. Of course, whenever you try to go to the Labor Party and talk about—

Ms Plibersek interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Member for Sydney, that's your final warning.

Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

a greater investment in regional areas by decentralisation, by moving people out, who fights against this? It is the Australian Labor Party—any excuse at all just to keep them poor. That is how the Labor Party thinks.

So we are proud of the work that we are doing in education. We stand by the fact that we have greater funding, but we are not going to follow the dictums of the teachers federation of Australia. We will make sure we look after the needs and the aspirations of the students.

Ms Burney interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Barton is warned.