Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Speaker, genuinely. My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to this 1.30 pm press release from the National Catholic Education Commission which states:

Concessions, real or imagined, will not fix the problems with this rushed legislation.

It calls on senators to vote against the plan that will not deliver needs based funding. Why is this Prime Minister punishing parents who choose to give their children a Catholic education with this rushed legislation? Why won't he take it back to the drawing board and start again?

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

The Leader of the Opposition should know the best about how much the Catholic sector is benefiting out of the Turnbull government's education plans. In the seat of Maribyrnong, St Bernadette's school in Sunshine North—a Catholic school—will get an extra $8.5 million under the Turnbull government's education plan. St Peter's school in Keilor East, also in the member for Maribyrnong's electorate—and now he turns his back—will get an extra $9.7 million. We know that the Catholic sector right across the country will be a big beneficiary of the Turnbull government's plan.

Finally, the Leader of the Opposition talks about getting messages about how to vote on this bill. Dianne Foggo AM, a former president of the Australian Education Union and former vice-president of the ACTU, wrote to all senators yesterday. This is what she had to say:

… I cannot in all conscience stay silent when there is an opportunity to change the current schools funding regime for a better one.

…   …   …

This is one of the most crucial potential improvements for funding for public education in decades …

So the Leader of the Opposition will tell the Catholic sector that he is the Messiah, but we really know that he is just a very naughty boy.

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

The Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister was quoting from a document which had funding for specific Catholic schools. I would ask that he table the document that he was quoting from.

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

Was the minister quoting from a confidential document?

Mr Frydenberg interjecting—

The minister says he is quoting from a confidential document.