Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education) Share this | Hansard source

I'm pleased to rise and speak on this matter of urgency about public school funding on a day when state Labor education ministers are protesting outside Parliament House against the Albanese government over public school funding—what an absolute fiasco!

As I referenced in my speech earlier today, it takes a special sort of incompetence from education minister Mr Clare for things to go this far off the rails. I have continued to criticise the Albanese government because, in delaying the National School Reform Agreement, this government is delaying the critical reforms that are needed in every classroom—that is, evidence based teaching methods, which we know will turn the ship around and which will raise school standards in every classroom.

I am pleased to again note that, on ABC Radio National this morning, Victorian Labor education minister Mr Carroll applauded the former coalition government for delivering increased funding to government schools, declaring that our government had done a better job at funding public schools. Mr Carroll reiterated that Senator Birmingham, when he was education minister, increased the Commonwealth's contribution to the Schooling Resource Standard from 17 per cent to 20 per cent as part of our investment in schools' funding, which almost doubled over nine years from $13 billion to $25 billion.

In this debate, it's also very important to put the facts on the table, and the Greens do not have a good history of doing so. A core feature of the Gonski funding model is that the states and territories primarily fund government schools, with the Commonwealth carrying most of the funding responsibilities for non-government schools, including many low-fee Catholic and independent schools.

I just also want to place on record that the latest data shows that per-student funding for non-government schools stands at $14,032 compared to $22,511 for each student in government schools. That's a very marked difference, and it's very important, in this debate, that the Greens do not mislead anyone about the current funding envelope. A student at a government school attracts much more funding, pursuant to the Gonski funding model, than students who attend non-government schools.

I have to say though, we have seen many examples of this government not treating all schools fairly, and I do say it is pretty shameful that, when the minister rolled out teaching scholarships, which were meant to address the teaching shortage pressures and, in some cases, crises, he discriminated against non-government schools, ensuring that those very valuable teaching scholarships, which were worth up to $40,000, would go only to government schools.

There were also some other very disappointing indications of this government's contempt for non-government schools. We've had a considerable debate over the importance of deductible gift recipient status for all schools, including some 1,200 or more public schools which have school building funds, scholarship funds and library funds, and that tax deductibility status is incredibly important in driving funding to both government and non-government schools.

As I say, we are seeing an absolute mess courtesy of the Albanese government. And this is a mess of Labor's own making. It's a mess of Labor's own making because Labor went to the election promising full and fair funding and this Minister has continued to mislead Australians, as well as, frankly, the states and territories, by not making it clear that the current very significant shortfalls in school funding are because of the actions of the states and territories—except for the ACT—not the Commonwealth, under the current agreed funding model. But, as I say, this education minister is failing badly, and he needs to do better. (Time expired)