Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. In 2013 the former Labor government agreed a detailed plan with the states to improve school performance in reading, maths and science. Later that same year, this government junked it, calling the plan 'red tape'. In the seventh year of this government—enough time for a student to start and finish high school—will the Prime Minister apologise to parents for turning his back on school improvement?

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I never take anything the member for Sydney presents at the dispatch box as having any accuracy, because she's been found out on so many occasions to have come to the dispatch box and made a series of smears and assertions which are not borne out, as indeed is the case with what she's just presented to this House.

I can tell parents right across this country that, under our government, we are providing record funding for schools. Under our government, for the first time, real needs-based funding is being provided, growing from $13.8 billion in 2014 to $17.5 billion in 2017, and that will grow to $32.4 billion in 2029. We are providing that funding for schools around the country without increasing taxes. We're not going to put our hands into the pockets—

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

The Leader of the Opposition on a point of order?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, Mr Speaker, on relevance. The question went to school performance and the latest figures, which show Australia falling behind the world. That's what it went to—maths, English, science.

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

The Leader of the Opposition has made his point of order on relevance. I hear the point of order from the Leader of the Opposition. There are a number of aspects to it, but, when questions have taglines, as indeed this did—let me be very specific: asking whether the Prime Minister would apologise. What I'm hearing is a response to that from the Prime Minister. He can answer it in any way he wishes provided he's on the policy topic that's there. So the Prime Minister is in order.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was asked about funding of schools.

An opposition member: No, you weren't!

Accusations were made by the Labor Party, as they made at the last election—

Opposition members interjecting—

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

Members on my left, I'm going to be very clear on this: the question did not ask about funding—it asked about other aspects—but I said it was in order for the Prime Minister to go to the government's policy approach, given the tagline that was asked.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Sydney raised the proposals that were previously put forward by the Labor Party. The member for Sydney, at the last election and at previous elections, maintained an untruth about the government's policies when it comes to education funding. Our education funding is at record levels. The reason we can fund our schools at record levels is that we know how to manage money. The reason no-one can believe anything the Labor Party say about schools funding, about hospitals funding or about funding for disabilities is that they know Labor cannot manage money. That means they cannot keep any promise they make when it comes to the commitments they make on schools, hospitals, disability services, aged care or any of this—because the Australian public know that the Labor Party cannot manage money. That was true under the former Leader of the Opposition and it's even more true under this Leader of the Opposition, who hasn't sat around and put a budget together. Not once in all of his years in government did he sit on an ERC that led to a budget. Not once—

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

The Leader of the Opposition has already called a point of order on relevance.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This is about him misleading parliament again, continually.

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

The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. The Leader of the Opposition doesn't have the call. And the Leader of the Opposition well knows that, if he takes issue with something that's said that he believes is a misrepresentation, there is a very clear procedure for him to follow at the end of question time.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The outcomes of the PISA 2018 today are deeply concerning to the government, and that is why we have put the funding in place— (Time expired)