Joanne Ryan (Lalor, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to condemn this government's disingenuous policy for schools. I know, because of my time in schools, because of my time leading schools, that the inequity between our schools is responsible for the inequity in the outcomes in our schools. Everyone in this country knows that to be true, because of Labor's policy. The review that was conducted under the Gillard government showed clearly—clearly!—that it was inequity between schools that was causing us to slide down those international rankings. What we put in place was an equaliser, a resourcing model that would level the playing field for every child in this country to ensure our future prosperity. To anyone on that side and anyone in the gallery who believes the Prime Minister's words when he says that money does not make a difference, I would like to invite you to the schools in the western suburbs of Melbourne, which have been on a ten-year journey of being resourced adequately, and see the results that they are getting in their classrooms. This government is being disingenuous about its school funding model. With its 20 per cent offer, it wants to walk away from public schools. It is a betrayal of the students in the schools across our country.