Deborah O'Neill (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Birmingham, the Minister representing the Minister for Education. Before the election the government promised 'more funding for people with disability through disability loading in 2015'. Instead, the government cut the More Support for Students with Disabilities program and failed to implement the Gonski disability loading as promised. Will the minister explain to the parents and students who are in Canberra today for the 'disability day of action' why the government has cut funding that gives children the educational opportunities they deserve?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the senator for the question. I thank her for the opportunity to set the record straight and to make crystal clear to all senators that there has been no cut to Australian government support for students with disability. In fact, there is more funding for students with disability than ever before. This government is providing $5.2 billion for students with disability over the period 2014 to 2017, including $1.2 billion for students with disability in 2015 alone.

In relation to issues around disability loading, the Commonwealth is entirely fulfilling our obligations and we are working on the process for a refined disability loading, which will be determined by nationally consistent definitions, and which will be available for the first time, based on levels of adjustment required by a student.

The Australian government along with states and territories has been working towards gathering the nationally consistent data for students with disability. We believe it is very important to get this right and we know that we must have robust data to do so. In what is a significant achievement, this year will be the first year in which all Australian schools will complete the data collection. The refined loading is on track to be introduced in 2016, as planned, allowing the government and the states and territories to further refine the existing loadings to better support students through the levels of adjustment that are required for a student, not just a label.

Just as this government is committed to delivering on the NDIS, this government is equally committed to making sure we get this process right, that we get the loadings and support for students with a disability right. We are providing this record funding and we will deliver on this policy outcome, contrary to the lies and scares of those opposite.

Deborah O'Neill (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Last week, the Minister for Education declared himself a 'fixer'. Given that he has cut the More Support for Students with Disabilities program, and failed to implement the Gonski disability loading as promised, what exactly has he fixed for students with disability?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Clearly, the senator was not listening to the previous answer. The process for putting in place the disability loading—funding for the needs based disability loading—was included in the last budget. It will be in this budget. It is in the forward estimates. It is there. We are committed to delivering on it. We are committed to seeing the introduction in 2016 as planned. It is completely irresponsible, frankly, of those opposite to be peddling these types of lies, to be creating this type of fear, when the reality is that the funding support is there and the policy work is being undertaken in a cooperative way with the states and territories to make sure that we get this right.

Unlike those opposite, who like to develop funding models that were just about throwing more out cash in an ill-thought-through way, we are putting in place the framework that will stand the test of time and ensure needs based funding for students with disability is delivered. (Time expired)

Deborah O'Neill (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. During Senate estimates the government used its numbers to suppress the tabling of a report crucial to the Gonski disability loading. Why is the government so intent on keeping students, parents and teachers in the dark on this important issue?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Still not listening.

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Indeed, Senator Abetz is right; Senator O'Neill is clearly still not listening to the facts, and the facts of the matter are that this government is delivering. We will deliver a policy that will stand the test of time.

The senator wants to talk about stunts like trying to table reports in Senate estimates. Every member in this place knows that there is no role for the tabling of documents like that in Senate estimates. If the senator wants to release a document, she can release a document however and wherever she wants. This government is not interested in stunts from those opposite. We are interested in delivering support for students with a disability. We are interested in making sure that, just as Senator Fifield and the government deliver on the NDIS, we deliver the loadings that were promised in a way that will stand the test of time and deliver to families and students the assistance they need. This government will fix it, we will deliver it, we will make sure this policy is implemented. (Time expired)