Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I am happy for some of these questions to be taken on notice. A concern has been put to me in relation to how some schools receive funding. There has been some controversy in relation to some schools. I go to the Sunday Age report that some Brethren schools in New South Wales and South Australia receive category 12 funding despite not meeting the criteria. There is a concern about the transparency of that process and whether other schools that would arguably be needier on the basis of objective criteria are missing out on funding because of the way that some schools have been able to access funding. I want to make it clear that I am not exclusively referring to the Exclusive Brethren. There has been a proliferation of these sorts of schools and there is a concern about the transparency mechanisms.

The other issue, to the minister, is whether the Gonski review has received submissions in relation to these sorts of concerns. I understand that the minister, the honourable Mr Garrett, cannot direct the review, quite properly, as to what to look at. But is the minister aware whether the Gonski review will be looking at these concerns, which I think are quite legitimate public concerns, about the use of public funds in this way?