Jana Stewart (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

High-quality education is fundamental to unlocking opportunities and to success in life. I feel that the evidence is very well known to support that. The Albanese Labor government is determined to make our education system better and fairer, no matter how much your family earns or where you come from. We know education opens the doors of opportunity for every Australian, and I want to thank Senator Tyrrell for bringing forward this motion this afternoon and raising this topic.

We are committed to strengthening our education system to ensure that all students are prepared for the modern world by ensuring that every student has the skills they need. Our littlest deserve no less. I know Victorians are doing it tough right now. The Albanese Labor government's primary focus is on easing the cost-of-living pressures facing Australians, at the same time as fighting inflation in our economy. From 1 July we have delivered: a tax cut for every Australian taxpayer, not just some; $300 energy bill relief for every Australian household and $325 for small businesses; a freeze on the cost of PBS medicines for every Australian; a third consecutive pay rise for 2.6 million workers; and more funding to build more homes in every part of the country. We're also delivering cheaper child care, fee-free TAFE and the biggest investment ever in expanding bulk-billing. We're planning for the long term while helping Australians right now, working to bring down inflation and planning a future made in Australia. We know there's more to do, and we'll continue every day to deliver for every Australian.

Those on the other side have opposed every single one of these measures. They've said they will cut $315 billion from the budget, and we know that the cost-of-living measures that we put in place, every single one of them, are under threat from those opposite. They left us with $3 trillion of debt and nothing to show for it. They left us with debt and deficits, and now they want to create more chaos. I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. It breaks my heart to think about the impact of 10 years of a coalition government on students, schools, teachers and families. They ripped more than $20 billion out of public schools across the country—$20 billion. It was absolutely heartbreaking for our kids, for our families and for our teachers. What this meant in a practical sense was that attendance rates declined, high-school completion rates declined, teacher shortages grew and the gap between the rich and poor got bigger.

Through the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement, the Albanese Labor government has put $16 billion on the table to ensure students and young people are equipped with the skills required to make responsible decisions in all aspects of their lives. This will be the biggest increase in Australian government funding for public schools ever delivered. The Better and Fairer Schools Agreement ties funding to reforms to help lift student outcomes, improving numeracy and literacy education in our schools. It's great to see that Western Australia and the Northern Territory have signed up to the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement to fund these important reforms. We know that a good, solid education can set you up for life. Let's work together to give our young people the best start in life.