Penny Wright (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to express support for the motion but also to express surprise about which side of the chamber this motion has come from. Although I believe that Senator McKenzie does have the future of Australian schools at heart, we must remember that it is her government which has stood in the way of achieving everything Senator McKenzie proposes here.

The coalition government has undermined the recommendations of the Gonski review panel at every step of the way. The coalition education minister still maintains that there is no inequality in Australian schools. Australia's thousands of excellent teachers do have a huge impact on students all around the country, but the biggest determining factor for student outcomes in Australia remains family wealth. Until the coalition government acknowledges this and supports genuine needs based funding to give every child a world-class education we will not see the change we need. I urge Senator McKenzie to persuade the education minister to implement the original recommendations of the Gonski review panel in all Australian schools.