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

I just decided to change my speech in senators' statements after hearing Senator Polley. As the shadow minister for education, I can say we have been prosecuting from day one the importance of evidence based teaching in every classroom. I say to Senator Polley: shame on you, Senator Polley, for any suggestion that you have just made that there would be any cuts to school funding under a future Dutton Liberal government. This is palpably untrue.

The Better and Fairer Schools (Funding and Reform) Bill 2024 currently before the parliament has already passed the House of Representatives with the coalition's support. It is absolutely disgraceful that this Labor government has become so desperate to mislead Australians that it is now prosecuting these falsehoods. Senator Polley is not the only one, because the member for Corangamite in a private members motion in the other place also did the same thing—suggested that when the Liberals were in government that we cut billions of dollars from school funding. It is an absolute disgrace.

We are seeing a greater tendency of this government to lie through their teeth, to mislead the Australian people and now we have just heard that in relation—