Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Families and Payments) Share this | Hansard source

Yes, it does; $22 billion in cuts to the original Gonski education funding proposed by Labor and previously agreed to, as alluded to by my colleague Senator Collins, by the Liberal Party. What we see here under this new policy is more recycling and a poor imitation of Labor's policy initiatives. It is immediately apparent that this government has no long-term vision or credible policies of its own. We know that, after this $22 billion of cuts, it is likely that no public school will reach its fair funding level. It has taken only a few days for the Liberals' new school funding policy to fall to pieces.

Today, Senator Back talked about people throwing nonsense about. Let us look at who he says is throwing nonsense about. It is clear that, prior to announcing what is effectively a watered-down version of Labor's original Gonski initiative, Mr Turnbull did not consult with his own party. The Liberal Party are in revolt over this issue. They do not want you to know, but that is exactly what is happening. It is a complete shambles, and a shambles brought on by the Minister for Education and Training, Senator Birmingham. He has brought this on. He has done no real consultation at all, and that was shown even in Senator Back's contribution, talking about consultation over the last few days. While Mr Turnbull was out of the country, the Acting Prime Minister, Mr Joyce—he is apparently one of the people that Senator Back was talking about as people throwing nonsense about—was already flagging changes when he stated on 4 May that there could be 'tweaking'. He said, 'We never completely close our minds.' The Assistant Treasurer, Michael Sukkar, was quoted in TheDailyTelegraph on 5 May:

Victorian Liberal frontbencher and Assistant Treasurer Michael Sukkar suggested the government would have to modify its plans to ensure schools were satisfied.

Mr Abbott and Liberal MPs are threatening a party room revolt and suggest Mr Turnbull might dump the new policy. Again on 5 May, TheSydney Morning Herald stated:

Tony Abbott has predicted Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull could dump—

his newly announced—

… education funding reform.

It then quoted Mr Abbott as saying:

This will, I'm sure, be heavily discussed in our party room on Tuesday …

Marginal seat Liberals were also quoted in The Australian on 4 May as saying:

… the education funding package was "absolutely outrageous" and declared more voters would "abandon" the party, as they urged Mr Turnbull and the Education Minister to reconsider the changes.

These are some of the quotes that Senator Back in his contribution talked about as nonsense. Members of the Liberal Party, members of their own caucus, are not happy. They have also said:

… if "this is not fixed and soon", there would be a partyroom showdown … "I have no idea what they are thinking … I can't believe it," …

Even the Liberal education minister— (Time expired)