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

Senator O'Neill asked a few questions in relation to funding for the Northern Territory, which I did address during question time today. Very quickly, funding for the Northern Territory government school system is projected to grow from $191 million this year to $261 million by 2027. The senator asked a range of questions about the particularly high need in the Northern Territory, a fact which I acknowledged in question time today and a fact which is of course borne out by the fact that per-student funding in the Northern Territory is today the highest in the nation, at around $8,360, on average, per student. That will grow to around $11,870 per student by 2027. That is far and away the highest per-student funding in the country. In fact, it will be around 55 per cent more per student by 2027 than it will be in any other jurisdiction, reflective of their particular need.

The senator also asked about the original Gonski report and the views of the original Gonski panel on this legislation. I would draw the attention of the senator to the words of a number of individuals. Mr David Gonski said:

… I'm very pleased to hear that the Turnbull government has accepted the fundamental recommendations of our 2011 report, and particularly regarding a needs based situation … I'm very pleased that there is substantial additional money, even over indexation and in the foreseeable future.

Fellow panel member Dr Ken Boston describes the legislation as 'a new deal of historic national importance' and says:

There are no grounds for opposition to the schools funding bill in principle … It will be a tragedy if the school funding bill is voted down in the Senate.

I would also highlight the comments of Ms Kathryn Greiner, another member of the Gonski panel, who says of the legislation and the policy:

… I think they're on the moral ground. I think the decisions were right, I think the decisions are just.

She also says:

Gonski 2.0 delivers what the Gonski report wanted: an accountable, transparent, equitable, sector-blind funding formula.

Concerning responsibility for government school systems, I would highlight, Senator O'Neill, my response earlier to your colleague from Tasmania, where I identified that the Commonwealth share of funding to government school systems will indeed grow to a record level under these reforms, more than twice what it was not that many years ago.