Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Mason has been kind enough to ask me about why this is such a wonderful program and about the $63.7 billion that is being spent on school education from 2009 to 2012 compared to the $33.5 million that the previous government invested over a three-year period. So there has been a doubling in expenditure on Australian students, Australian schools, and you have the audacity to say that this is a waste of money. What we do know is that the Liberal Party is very anxious to assault opportunities for children and schools in Australia and is in the business of actually withdrawing support from Australian schools.