Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

In doing this, we are ensuring that we redirect the money in the most efficient and fastest way. We have heard a lot from all sides of politics about not having enough money to fund our underfunded schools. Well, this is how you would get it. Get serious about needs based funding, get serious about putting equity into our school funding system and ensure that we stop overfunding wealthy schools that simply do not need to continue to rely on this type of growth rate from the public purse.

Question negatived.

I move Greens amendment (2) on sheet 8176:

(2) Schedule 1 , item 16 , page 6 (line 20) , omit "' 20% "' , substitute "' 24% "' .

This amendment goes right to the heart of what we have been debating here tonight and over the last couple of months in this place. This is about ensuring that we look after our public schools. Currently under this legislation the government is proposing to fund 20 per cent from the federal government, 20 per cent of the share of getting schools up to their resource standard. We know that, in order to look after the neediest schools, the best thing we can do is increase the share of federal government funding to our public schools. We are worried that, in some states, they are simply not going to have the cash to get those schools up to standard in a reasonable amount of time. This amendment would ensure that the federal government does its best to look after all of those schools across the country, our public schools. That must be our priority. If we were to lift the Commonwealth share from 20 per cent it would cost the budget that magical number that we have heard a lot about over the last eight weeks—$22 billion. It is the figure that the Labor Party has banged on about for the last two months. This is the opportunity for the Labor Party to put its money where its mouth is. Prove that you care about public schools. Prove that you give a damn about putting your money where your mouth is. Do not wait until the next election. Do not tell the voters to hold their breath and wait. Fund it now, do it now, put it in legislation and let 's make sure we look after our public schools and bank that $22 billion tonight.