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. Today the National Catholic Education Commission tweeted:

School choice is under significant threat because of Minister's funding model. Would raise questions about affordability of Catholic schools

Long-term Liberals, like the member for Menzies, used to support school choice, so when will this Liberal government, under this Prime Minister, admit that his cuts to Catholic schools threaten choice for parents?

Josh Frydenberg (Kooyong, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The members opposite might like to know that, under the Turnbull government's record spending on education, Catholic schools will be $1.2 billion better off over the next four years and $3.4 billion better off over the next 10 years. The Brisbane Catholic Education Office has welcomed the package. Students in the Catholic sector receive the highest amount of Commonwealth funding on a per student basis now and under our package.

The Leader of the Opposition went to a number of Catholic schools, including the Holy Family School in Mount Waverley. Did he know that they would get an extra $4.3 million over 10 years? When the Leader of the Opposition went to Our Lady Help of Christians in East Brunswick did he know that the school would be $3.5 million better off over 10 years? The system under the Turnbull government will receive $18.6 billion extra over the next 10 years. That is a 75 per cent increase. More than 9,000 schools will be better off. All sectors will be better off—the independent schools sector, the government schools sector and the Catholic schools sector—all of which are being denied by those opposite.