Patrick Gorman (Perth, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I spoke in this place an hour ago about love. One of the things I love is investing in education, and I also like talking about delivering a fair go for Australia. Every Friday, I start a conversation with my community called Fair Go Friday, where we talk about important policy issues where we want to make sure that Australians are getting a fair go. When it comes to giving a fair go to Australian people, there's nothing more important than investing in education.

My mum and dad were both primary school teachers. They continue to work in the education sector, educating and supporting the next generation of teachers to deliver education and enlightenment to young people in Western Australia. My wife, Jess, and I had the benefit of great university educations—hers at the University of Queensland, mine at Curtin University. My son is just coming on to his first year in early childhood education. Early childhood educators do such good, important work in teaching little people how to become good big people. Leo, at the moment, has a stuffed dog that comes home with him at night, and he is learning how to look after that little animal. That is all part of the education process that his early childhood educators have built for him.

Also, in speaking on education, I want to commend the Prime Minister for his focus on Indigenous education and making sure that young Indigenous people get all the opportunities that they deserve, wherever they should be in this country.

Speaking of education, I once even had the honour of being a guest lecturer at my other old university, the University of Western Australia, along with the member for Canning, delivering guest lectures for Professor Peter van Onselen's class, which was a great honour.

Some of the things that have been discussed with me as I've been visiting schools in my electorate over the last week prior to returning to parliament are: 'What's next? What is next going to happen for schools in the electorate of Perth?' I'm pleased to say that Labor has a very clear Fair Go Action Plan when it comes to education. Part of that is our national kindy and preschool program, making sure that some 700,000 Australian children will be able to access subsidised preschool.

We've also announced a Swim Smart program, making sure that Australian kids get education in the water. Kids in primary school need to know how to swim, wherever they should be. It's an essential Australian skill.

And, speaking of important water education, I'd like to give a shout-out to the people—the staff, the friends, the volunteers—at Maylands Waterland. For some 40 years, that fantastic swimming education facility in my electorate has been standing. It has a bright future. It is also just a great thing to have, where some 40,000 families a year go and learn how to be safe in the water and enjoy all the sun and warmth that is all across Western Australia.

I also commend to my electorate Labor's commitment to needs based school funding, restoring some $17 billion to our schools. Our Fair Go for Schools means that, in just the first three years of any future Shorten Labor government, we would invest some $21 million in Perth's schools. Maylands Peninsula Primary School would receive an extra $780,000. Eden Hill Primary School would receive $580,000. Inglewood Primary School, down the road from my electorate office, would receive $620,000 in the first three years under Labor's plans. Amy Blitvich, one of the newest teachers at Mount Lawley Senior High School, would be able to give her students the one-on-one attention and resourcing they need with an extra $2,650,000 for Mount Lawley Senior High School.

It is not just at the primary and early years; we also need to invest in our universities. Labor will establish a $300 million university future fund to make sure we can build the research and teaching facilities of the future. We will abolish the cap on student places, meaning Edith Cowan University, in my electorate, can actually give places to the students who are knocking on their door. These students have the grades, but there are just not the places for them to get into university and get the tertiary education they need. That is going to deliver 200,000 more places into our university sector over coming years.

We also have to do more about the disgraceful ongoing challenge of sexual assault in our universities. Labor will give a new independent task force strong powers to crack down on sexual harassment and assault at our universities.