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

It is very clear that, under the Turnbull government's additional investment of at least $18.6 billion into schools across the country, indeed every public school across Australia will within a decade be funded by the Commonwealth under a needs based formula to exactly the same standard and level. That of course is the entire intent of the types of reforms that we are bringing forward: to make sure that the Gonski principles of needs based funding are applied consistently by the federal government across every government school right around the country regardless of differences from one state to another.

That is a really important element of this reform, because it is about ensuring that those senators from Western Australia, for example, do not end up continuing to get a dud deal relative to those senators and their constituents from the state of New South Wales, for example, which is what the Labor Party did. They signed different deals—27 different arrangements right across the country—and in doing so put in place a whole raft of inconsistencies, whereas what we are proposing is a steady transition that will ensure the same share of a needs based formula based on the Gonski recommendations is delivered to every state and territory across the country.

That is about delivering fairness and equity and indeed ensuring that those states and territories who have the primary responsibility in relation to funding of schools are then held to account, not able to continually shove it back onto the Commonwealth. It is about ensuring that those states are not able to take increased Commonwealth funding with one hand and pocket it with the other to ensure there is not additional support for schools. Where we are putting extra support in for schools, we will make sure extra support flows through into school systems, delivers additionality for school systems and is not just pocketed as a saving by a state or territory government. (Time expired)

Senator O'Neill interjecting—