Chris Ketter (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

This is just another policy disaster from this incompetent government. The government's education funding reforms are now starting to come apart. If one were to listen to Minister Birmingham and the Attorney-General, one would think that all of the concerns raised by the Catholic system are unfounded; there is nothing to them; and somehow the Catholic education system is wanting more than its fair share of federal government funding.

This is an extraordinary accusation or insinuation to make in respect of this matter. What really illustrates the fact that this is not the case is that we find Senator Back coming out this morning on ABC television to highlight the point that he cannot support this change to the funding arrangements. He does not believe that the Catholic system is receiving a fair deal. If one of the government's own senators cannot bring himself to support this proposition, then why on earth should anyone else in this chamber come forward and support something which is obviously seen as a backward step for the Catholic system, which does pull its weight and does an extraordinary job around the country in educating young Australians.

With Senator Back standing up to the government, we also hear that One Nation are likely to support the government and support an unfair deal. I would express my disappointment with that announcement and ask our colleagues in One Nation to review and reconsider their approach. Senator Hanson seems to talk about the fact that it is not just money that is going to solve the problems. Of course, money alone does not solve problems, and having proper funding does not exclude attention being given to the standards in schools as well. These are not mutually exclusive objectives. We need to have both.

The Queensland government's education minister, Kate Jones, also knows the truth. It is not just the Catholic system, it is not just the government's own senators that have expressed concern—there are also some concerns about this in the public sector. Minister Kate Jones has referred to Gonski 2.0 as just 'smoke and mirrors'. What she is saying is that she is concerned that the Turnbull government, after promising at the last election that they would not walk away from the Gonski funding model, in fact did so. 'They tore up the six-year agreement and now they are saying we should trust them on a 10-year agreement.' Those are the words of the Queensland education minister. Queensland schools stands to miss out under this government. They are claiming extra funding, but really it is now just less of a deep cut.

Labor understands the importance of education and its links to the dignity of work. Labor has announced that we will restore $22 billion that the Prime Minister will cut from schools. Only a Labor government can be trusted with education funding, and only a Labor government can be trusted to properly equip the Australian people with the skills they need to meet the embrace of the economy of the future. We know that what the government is proposing is not fair. We notice that it is not sector blind and we know that it is not needs based.

Just returning to Minister Jones's comments, she has pointed out that government schools across the state of Queensland will be $300 million worse off under the Gonski 2.0 changes, in contrast to the $1.43 billion surplus spruiked by the federal Minister for Education and Training, Minister Birmingham. Whilst Minister Jones has indicated that she is happy that the cuts will not be as deep as was flagged last year, the reforms will still result in a decrease in funding. This is an attempt, as Ms Jones has indicated, to trick schools and to trick parents in Queensland, so she wants to compare real dollars flowing to our schools right now to after June. A $300 million cut for Queensland public schools over the 10-year plan means that decisions get tougher. This government is no friend to Queensland schools.