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

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to a report from the ABC where the principal of St Clair public high school in Western Sydney says the government has 'wiped out' the funding increases his school would have receive under Labor’s education funding plan. The principal says the funding for his school will be cut by $300,000 in the next year alone, and he will have to cut literacy and numeracy programs. He said:

… every school in NSW that would have received that money will now receive less under what the Government has promised this morning.

What does the Prime Minister say to the principal of— (Time expired)

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition has failed to promise to put back the money that was never there—this $22 billion—never, ever funded and no way of paying for it. It was a promise that mocked Australian schools. It mocked Australian schools and it mocked that principal. What we are delivering is $18.6 billion of additional funding over the next decade. The schools that the honourable member referred to are receiving increasing funding. Not only that but it is needs-based, it is fair, it is consistent and—something that will come as a big shock to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and her leader—it is transparent. It is transparent! Parents can see exactly what their schools will receive in additional Commonwealth funding. They can see it. No secret deals. No 27 deals—the details of which are never revealed. A simple principle: national, fair, consistent and needs-based funding, as David Gonski recommended in 2011.

We will fund 20 per cent of the Schooling Resource Standard for government schools and 80 per cent for nongovernment schools. Again, all set out and available now so parents can see. That is the big difference. Labor talks about needs-based funding, but does 27 special deals. We are delivering a national, consistent, fair, needs-based and transparent system. The schools the honourable member refers to in Western Sydney: they are beneficiaries of that, as their principals, their teachers, their parents and their students can see when they consult the application on the education website. Transparent, fair, needs-based, consistent: exactly as David Gonski recommended, which is why he has endorsed our plan. He has endorsed it because he knows it is fair, it is needs-based, it is consistent and it is national. It does not discriminate between systems. It is exactly what he recommended, and honourable members opposite should stop fooling people about their imaginary funding promise and support a fair model recommended by David Gonski.