Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Hansard source

I am happy to inform the senator that, in relation to the Tasmanian school systems, funding for the government system in Tasmania is estimated to be $183 million in 2017. That will steadily grow under the proposal put forward by the government each and every year to $261 million by 2027. That, of course, is funding that would be used to fund a number of the schools that you referenced in your remarks.

In relation to the Catholic education system in Tasmania, their forecast funding in 2017 is $149 million. That is estimated to grow to $226 million by 2027. In relation to independent schools or independent school systems within Tasmania, under the government's proposal they are forecast to receive $76 million in 2017 and that is forecast and estimated to steadily grow to $107 million by 2027. All of them by 2027, under the legislation for the bill before the parliament, would have their share of funding calculated according to the same consistent needs based formula as any other either government school system in the country or non-government school authority in the country. It will be applied in an entirely consistent manner.

If we are not going to proceed in an orderly way, as is the normal custom of the committee, and instead we are going to be subjected to stalling tactics and filibustering speeches, then I shall—

Senator Polley interjecting—