Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

My understanding is that they did. This is what the Victorian government said in their submission:

… the Victorian Government became a signatory to the National Education Reform Agreement (NERA). The NERA was intended to deliver an additional $12.2 billion to Victorian schools between 2014 and 2019, with sixty per cent of this funding to be delivered in 2018 and 2019. The NERA was a landmark reform that enabled all schools across Victoria to access needs-based, equitable funding. It provided a solid foundation for both levels of government to work cooperatively to support growth and improvement across all school sectors over a six-year trajectory … Victoria has funded its full commitment of Gonski funding until the end of 2018. The Commonwealth Government’s new funding proposal leaves a massive shortfall for Victorian government schools of around $630 million in 2019 against the NERA, which will disproportionately impact on the most vulnerable schools and students. For some schools, this shortfall could equate to $1 million next year alone.

Again, the government, without any consultation with stakeholders, without any serious consultation, simply implements these cuts to education funding. This is not a government that is being honest with the Senate or the Australian people. (Time expired)