Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Hansard source

The answer is no because, as the senator would well know—and it is embarrassing that the only way he can get a question on education is to ask a question on carbon. That is how much priority those opposite place on education. The only way you can get a question in the portfolio area is to ask a question about carbon pricing.

As you would well know, Senator, the Commonwealth funds schools on an indexed basis. The funding is based on the AGSRC, average government school recurrent costs, amount that takes into account increases in operating costs, and utility costs are included in that index. That is the truth, but of course what we really want to know is what the coalition would do when it came to education because apparently, according to Mr Robb, they are going to give all of education to Campbell Newman. That is the new policy from the coalition: We are going to outsource education and health to the states because we—Her Majesty is on his feet.