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

I think it was clear yesterday, as we saw the Australian Education Union start to fracture, with divisions coming from Western Australia, with their ridiculous scenario of the South Australian Education Union head coming out and saying, 'Actually, perhaps we should give this a go'—before, obviously, Senator Wong or others leant on them to make sure that they did not do so, that they backed down from that. But of course the former president of the Education Union went out strongly yesterday and spoke the truth and described it as a real opportunity to put in place funding reform, to put in place an equitable funding regime. They were the words of the former president of the Australian Education Union. That was somebody speaking clearly and honestly, arguing for needs based funding, and that is exactly what the Turnbull government is seeking to deliver.