Trish Crossin (NT, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Kim Carr, representing the Minister for School Education. I ask, can the minister inform the Senate of the government's priorities in planning for school improvements and in school funding reform?

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Crossin for her question and acknowledge her longstanding interest in education. Education is this government's No. 1 priority and that is why we have doubled the investment for schools since we came to office. The Commonwealth now invests some $13.9 billion per annum. It is our priority because we know education is the great enabler. We know that it provides us with the opportunity to ensure that this whole country—our people right across this country—have the skills for the 21st century.

Education is the foundation stone of our innovation system. It brings wealth to industries. It helps us build jobs—high-skill, high-wage jobs—for our people. It lays the foundations for this nation's prosperity and it unlocks the doors of inequality in this country. A fair go in education is fundamental in ensuring that we have a just society. We over here ask the question: 'What about your position?' The position of those opposite is to attack education spending; take money away from trades training; take money away from schools; and take money away from universities. That has been the position of those opposite. That is their stated priority: not to accept the Gonski reforms and the need for increases in Commonwealth investments in education. That is the position of those opposite.

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Why are you making war on private schools then? Why do you hate the Catholic system so much?

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Lord Brandis, you know the truth! You are not committed to supporting education in this country and you have made it very clear that in your search for $70 billion, education will be your No. 1 priority. It will be your quest to smash the education system in this country and to ensure that schools are not able to provide the building blocks of a fair and just society. (Time expired)

Senator Brandis interjecting—

Trish Crossin (NT, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will just wait for the lord highness to finish and then I will ask my question. Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. What commitments will this government make for parents in the reforms for school-funding regimes and the implications for school fees?

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Garrett and the Prime Minister have made it very clear on many occasions now that no school will lose money under Labor's plan. Funding for every school, whether it be government, independent or Catholic, will continue to rise. Senator Brandis asked a question about cutting school funding. What he ought to tell the Senate is that the Liberal policy is to cut $2.8 billion from school funding. He ought to tell the Senate that they have a policy of taking money away from schools to fill their $70 billion black hole. Only a Luddite would pursue a policy that would attack education. Only people who are very primitive in their attitudes would take the view that you find savings of that dimension in the school education system. Our plan is to ensure that every child has the right to public support for their education. (Time expired)

Trish Crossin (NT, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Can the minister outline the responsibilities of State and Territory governments in this national agenda of reform for schools?

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

(—) (): Thank you, Senator Crossin. In coming weeks, the government will enter discussions with the states and territories on the details of the new education plan. We will approach these discussions in good faith and we will expect that all premiers and chief ministers will do the same. In that context, as I have already indicated, no-one is in a position to be able to rule out what options are available in regard to the funding of the new school plan; but I would remind the premiers and chief ministers that the coalition policy is to remove $2.8 billion from the school system. These are cuts they have already announced; this is not the $70 billion that they have yet to make. We ask this simple question: where will that money come from? We will see working people directly affected. (Time expired)