Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Cameron for his question. I am aware that there was a rally on Sunday at Darling Harbour, which was attended by some 3,000 parents and teachers. I wish to reassure those who attended the rally that in Canberra the Labor government are genuinely committed to the future of our schools. That is why we are moving to a needs based funding system. Labor take the view that your life chances should not be determined by your postcode or by who your parents are. What we do know is that education is the key that unlocks the doors of inequality. We take the view that there has to be genuine equality of opportunity in our school system, and of course there is an investment that the government has to make that is important for the future of this society as a whole and for individuals within it.

Ultimately, it is about allowing this country to fulfil its full potential and that is why education is the No. 1 priority for this Labor government and it has been a core value of the Labor Party for generations. We know that new investment in education actually makes a difference and we see that confirmed by successive NAPLAN scores. Labor's funding has improved literacy, numeracy and attendance for the disadvantaged, for Indigenous students, for the disabled, for children in regional schools and for low-income families. These are the children who have most to gain by substantial investment, and of course we know they have the most to gain when schools are able to drop class sizes, when we see that resources are able to grow. We want to achieve more through a needs based funding system and it is about making sure that funding for every school and for every student is able to be advanced— (Time expired)