Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator McGrath for his question. As someone who grew up in regional Queensland, he knows the challenges. I'm sure that's why he continues to support the Isolated Children's Parents Association, who recently celebrated 50 years of advocacy for access to education for people who live, work and invest in rural and regional Australia.

The Liberal-National government know the challenges faced by regional families trying to ensure that their children receive a quality education. We know, for example, that many rural families with children at both government and private boarding schools are struggling with the impact of state border closures and quarantine arrangements as a result of the latest COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. As the newly appointed minister for regional education, I've called an urgent meeting this Friday to hear directly from parent groups and state border commissioners on how we can work together with states and territories on commonsense solutions.

There is more to do. The Liberal-National government are getting on with the job, and that's why we're committed to improving education access and quality for all Australians, no matter where they live. Since 2016, our government has invested more than $1 billion to improve high-level tertiary education outcomes and opportunities for regional and remote Australians—more than any Labor government. Labor like to champion their record in education, but, it seems, that's only if you live in capital cities.

Part of this $1 billion investment includes more than $400 million in regional measures to support the Napthine review. The measures seek to address the disparity that has consistently existed between city and country students and provide additional investment to boost regional development and student aspiration. We know that regional students are twice as likely as metropolitan students to move to study and that they have lower education attainment rates, which is why we have a raft of financial support measures to assist them.