Anthony Chisholm (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The others really have their heads buried in the sand on this issue. It's quite remarkable—when we've gone through a by-election in Batman, where this was a significant issue, particularly in the last week of the campaign, and where Labor put on record its commitment to supporting Catholic education—and quite interesting that those opposite really dismiss it. They can say, 'Well, that contest in Batman was just Labor versus the Greens; it wasn't really consequential for the Liberals and Nationals.' But what they need to know is: what happened in Batman is going to happen and be replicated right across Australia by the time the next election comes around. I know what families will believe when it comes to school funding, and that's not the spin from those opposite. They'll believe the information coming out from the sector that their children go to school at, and that is going to be rammed home to them. And that's what we saw in Batman.

So it's very disappointing—and we've sort of got used to it from Minister Birmingham; we know that he comes in here and delivers his lines—that there's not more fight on the backbench. We see that fight from Tony Abbott, the former Prime Minister. He's prepared to bell the cat and say what is actually happening out there in the community. But those backbenchers on the Senate side at the moment—particularly since former Senator Back has left—have really quietened down.

But the issue isn't going away. Those families and parents out there who are concerned and making choices about where their kids go to school want to know that they are being adequately funded. It's outrageous for the minister to attack the legitimate concerns of a sector, the Victorian Catholic schools sector, with the comments that he made.

But it's probably not surprising that he would do it, given that the standards of this government are slipping. We saw it over recent weeks, with Minister Dutton and his basic dog whistling when it came to South African farmers. We saw it during the Senate estimates process, with Senator Cash and her comments about the staffers in Bill Shorten's office. Neither one of them apologised. Neither one of them have said that they did the wrong thing. They really backed those comments in. And we've seen the same from Senator Birmingham in the last 48 hours as well. You would really hope that there would be a higher standard from a federal cabinet minister, and you would also hope that there would be a higher standard from the government that would pull these people into line. But we see none of that from those opposite.

Let's go to the division that we've seen on this issue. Former Prime Minister Abbott said on radio yesterday that this is 'going to make low-fee schools in middle-class suburbs almost impossible to run'. He went on to say that Catholic schools would 'suffer a big loss in funding'. That was coming from a member of their government—indeed, the former Prime Minister—completely contradicting what we hear from ministers and what we've seen from the contribution of other members in this debate so far today.

So, for Senator Macdonald to come in here and talk about some funding for a new building—that's one thing. But this is actually going to the ongoing funding of those schools. As someone who spends a lot of time in Queensland, and regional Queensland in particular, I know the concern that these schools are going to have. Already the opportunities for kids in regional Queensland and other parts of regional Australia aren't as great as they are for those from capital cities. Any further funding divide is only going to accentuate those problems, so there are going to be fewer opportunities for those kids from lower socioeconomic areas, from remote areas, to get the start in life that they need through primary school and through high school. This is what former Prime Minister Abbott is actually laying on the table. Those opposite who repeat the lines from Senator Birmingham and stick to the script are going to pay a price for this when it comes to the election, because parents understand this issue. From what I can pick up when I'm picking my kids up from school, parents absolutely know every issue going on in their school, as you'd expect them to. They understand this issue, and when it comes closer to the federal election they will increasingly look to who they are going to take their advice from about who is going to be better for their schools when it comes to ongoing funding.

The final comment that I want to make is a quote from former Prime Minister Abbott:

… if the government was smart we would have a look at our existing policy.

So the former Prime Minister Abbott is putting it out there that the government needs to relook at its policy. But what we've seen is a stonewalling from those opposite today, not a willingness to engage about legitimate concerns raised by the Victorian Catholic education sector that are only going to spread as we get closer to a federal election. So I urge them to relook at this issue, because it is such an important one for Australian families.

Question agreed to.