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

The changes that the government announced and informed Catholic education of yesterday and that I then informed the Senate chamber of subsequently were raised by Catholic education officials at a meeting with me on Monday afternoon this week. We went through those changes at that meeting. Senator Back was present as well, which indeed has been well reported on, and you, yourself, Senator Wong, have referenced that meeting and those discussions. Proposals were put and considered at that time and those are the proposals the government subsequently agreed to and subsequently informed Catholic education of. They will of course add to what is already $3.4 billion worth of additional funding that Catholic education systems will receive across the country over the next 10 years under our reforms.