Lisa Singh (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Attorney General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate take note of the answers given by the Minister for Finance (Senator Cormann) and the Assistant Minister for Education and Training (Senator Birmingham) to questions without notice asked by Senators Singh and O’Neill today relating to funding for foreign aid and disability education.

In particular, I would like to highlight the fact that Senator Cormann did not rule out cuts to health and education. He could have done so, but he clearly chose not to. He has left the door wide open to further cuts to health and education. This is already on top of the broken promises that were made after the last election where the Prime Minister said at the time that there would be no cuts to health and education. No cuts to health, no cuts to education is what he said. But we know now that he has broken that promise, like so many others, with $30 billion of cuts to schools, the scrapping of the Gonski reforms and the abandoning of needs based funding.

That needs based funding goes to the heart of the question asked by Senator O'Neill when we asked specifically about the effect that this government's funding cuts to education is having on students with a disability. We know today the effect of those cuts, and it is clearly reported in The Australian, among other media outlets. Principals have made it very clear that they are facing an urgent crisis in schools because of this government's cuts to education when it comes to providing the needs based funding to students with disability. But it is fine for Senator Cormann because he is looking after the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Despite any assertion elsewhere, that is clearly what he is doing as a protector of that minister. Forget about every other policy area. That is the one that he has perhaps used the Prime Minister's captain's pick of today.

Let us just have a look at what Senator Cormann is protecting. The government promised not to touch the aid budget before, and we know how it treats its promises. We know that in the health space. We know that in the education space. But last year in October the Minister for Foreign Affairs said there would be no more cuts to foreign aid. But in December we know what happened. Senator Cormann knows clearly what happened. There was a $3.7 billion cut from the aid budget in the mid-year economic update. So Minister Bishop may act outraged, but it is she who signed off on that cut. It is she who signed off on the deepest ever cut to the aid program in Australia's history. This minister has confiscated $11 billion from Australia's aid budget. So whilst we already know the deep and hurting cuts in health and the deep and hurting cuts in education, we know that already there have been very deep and hurting cuts—the biggest in Australia's history—in our foreign aid budget. She may mock the Treasurer, but she cannot roll her eyes while shirking her responsibility for these cuts that have already occurred in the foreign aid budget.

The Australian Council for International Development has said that if there were any further cuts to the aid program it will not be credible, it will not be effective. We have known that for some time. The minister knows that, and she knows Australia has got the weakest and the most depleted aid program in Australia's history. Hence her being so alarmed at the Treasurer's attempt to make an even deeper cut, and hence Senator Cormann coming to her rescue. Senator Cormann has not come to anyone's rescue. He was quite happy to have $11 billion cut out of the foreign aid budget last December. He is quite happy, as he has given in his answer today, to not rule out any further cuts to health, to not rule out any further cuts to education, and we know what effect that is having right now on students with disability, let alone all the other students who need decent quality education in our country, which only comes from decent funding of those critical government services. Labor of course contributed to official development assistance funding in every budget. We have a high record when it comes to foreign aid funding and when it comes to health and education, because our core values demand it. That is what we believe is the right way for Australia, not this government's awful— (Time expired)

Zed Seselja (ACT, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I wonder what the Labor Party's values are that Senator Singh finished on there and what they meant in foreign aid, because it is interesting that Australia became, I think, the third biggest recipient of foreign aid in our region under the former, Labor government, under their shambolic policies. They so badly lost control of the borders and lost control of the budget that we became the third largest recipient of Australian aid in the region in relation to border protection policies or so-called border protection policies under the former, Labor government. That was their idea of a sustainable aid budget. I think that Senator Singh should reflect on that fact—whether that was actually a good outcome when we saw the Labor Party lose control of the budget, lose control of the borders and make Australia the third largest recipient of Australian aid. Does that fit with the Labor Party values that Senator Singh was referring to at the end of her contribution?

I would say that the Labor Party values reflected in today's question time are mainly about deceit—mainly about trying to mislead the Australian people with some of their questioning. I am not surprised that Senator Cameron's question has not been taken note of, because of the embarrassment when he got the answers from the Attorney-General. I am not surprised they did not go to Senator Cameron's question. But that was along the same lines: he was asking a question and making assertions which were false, absolutely false.

Let us deal with the other questions that we are taking note of today. Firstly, in terms of school funding, the coalition is delivering, in the four-year budget period, $1.2 billion more in school funding than the Labor Party were going to. That is a fact.

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

That was just a shift from youth funding.

Zed Seselja (ACT, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is a fact.

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

That was just a shift over from youth funding.

Zed Seselja (ACT, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is $1.2 billion more than they were going to. So not only does it increase every year—

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

That's not true.

David Bushby (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That's true.

Zed Seselja (ACT, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Not only does it increase every year—

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

You cut $30 billion.

Zed Seselja (ACT, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Not only does it increase every year, Senator O'Neill—

David Bushby (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's $1.2 billion more than you.

Zed Seselja (ACT, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

So it is going up significantly every year. We committed to that four-year funding. But the Labor Party decided, before the election, to rip out $1.2 billion and not tell anyone about it. So we have had to restore the $1.2 billion that they ripped out, whilst increasing the funding in the four-year funding period. So, that is another scare campaign that is completely false that was in this question time. We had Senator Cameron with his embarrassing effort in relation to Aboriginal legal services, which was false—

Sue Lines (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is not false—

Zed Seselja (ACT, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We had the issues around schools.

Sue Lines (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

it's true.

Zed Seselja (ACT, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Lines interjects because—

Sue Lines (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Because I'm telling the truth.

Zed Seselja (ACT, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

She thinks that, if she squawks just that little bit louder, somehow what she says will be true. Well, it is not true. Those are the facts.

Sue Lines (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Nothing that you're saying is true.

Zed Seselja (ACT, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Those are the facts, Senator Lines.

Sue Lines (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, they're not.

Zed Seselja (ACT, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You ripped out $1.2 billion. We restored it. We not only increased funding to schools every year; we restored the $1.2 billion you ripped out when you were trying to repair the debt and deficit that you left us. I would say that that is a very, very good start.

Senator O'Neill interjecting—

Let's go to the issue, Senator O'Neill, of disability funding, which you also raised. I think the AEU and Senator Wright have sunk to a new low today, shamelessly creating fear over funding for disabled school students—which Senator O'Neill has taken up. So here are some facts. There is a needs-based disability loading. It was introduced by this government in 2014 as part of the new school-funding arrangements. The loading is based on the current state and territory definitions of 'disabled student', and so every student who meets this definition attracts the loading. There has been no cut to Australian government support for students with disability. In fact, there is more funding—

Senator O'Neill interjecting—

for students with disability than ever before. The government is providing $5.2 billion for students with disability over the period 2014 to 2017, including over $1.2 billion for students with disability in 2015 alone.

On all of these issues, the Labor Party is not telling the truth. At least Senator Cameron, in his embarrassment, managed to acknowledge that he was not telling the truth. I hope Senator O'Neill, when she gets up, will make the same recognition—that she has gotten it wrong. (Time expired)

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

What we just heard there from Senator Seselja was a dismissal of parents who have travelled across the country to be here today with their children who have a disability. Essentially, they have been called liars in that contribution from Senator Seselja.

That is what is happening in every single portfolio area that the government touches. They say one thing, they deliver the other and then they try to convince you that black is blue. People are onto them, though. The joke is up, because it is not a very funny joke. When you absolutely reject the reality of people's lived experiences, when you reject the parents of children with disabilities and when you reject the children with disabilities who are here to tell their stories and have the truth told, you are sinking to a new low.

Before the election, Tony Abbott said he was on a unity ticket with Labor on school funding. That was an absolute misrepresentation of the truth. Mr Pyne said:

… you can vote Liberal or Labor and you'll get exactly the same amount of funding for your school ...

Well, that is 'exactly' not true. He did not deliver that. And we can see a $30 billion cut to education over the next 10 years, from this government. This is the same Liberal government that announced in last year's budget it was not going to fund years 5 and 6 of the Gonski reforms. It has taken $30 billion out.

The urgent question today is: what is Tony Abbott going to do about the funding for students with disability and funding for years 5 and 6 of the reforms? The Labor Gonski reforms are all about making sure every student and every school gets the support they need to achieve their best. Australians already understand: Gonski is the fair path. This government pretended it was onside with Gonski and then rejected Gonski the minute it got into office. A central plank of the Gonski model is a national needs-based loading for students with disability so every student gets the education that they deserve.

What Labor is here fighting for today and every day is fairness for every Australian—not just some Australians. Before the election the Abbott government promised to deliver on that unity ticket, especially in the area of disability funding. From 2015, they said, there would be more funding for people with disability through the disability loading in 2015. It is 2015; they have not delivered. Yet they stand in this chamber and pretend that they are honouring those promises. Day after day, misrepresentation after misrepresentation—I am not allowed to use the 'l' word—this government have betrayed students with disability. They have betrayed parents; they have betrayed the truth. Too many students with disabilities are missing out on things that other students take for granted. We have heard from parents that sometimes their kids cannot attend school all day; they can only go part time because that is as much as the school can provide; they are so resource poor.

I want to point to the report brought to the parliament today, called 'State of our schools' by the AEU. In that they talk about the resources that are lacking—assistance for teachers in classrooms, specialist support, funding to pay for the professional development of teachers, dedicated programs, appropriate learning spaces, insufficient teachers, inadequate equipment. These are basic things that people should expect to find in schools, especially if they have a child with a disability. When children are born in Australia—the kind of Australia I believe in—they have the right to an education, whether they have a disability or not. We need to be responding to that, and this government is not doing it.

The really disgraceful thing that I want to put on the record is that, when Labor came in, we tried to get a national definition of disability and so we undertook research. That research went out into the disability sector. In contrast, since this government came in, they have failed to put very important reports on the public record. On 5 March, when I tried to table a report by PricewaterhouseCoopers on additional resourcing provided for students with disability, the Liberal members of that committee used their numbers to prevent me from making this document public. This government is a disgrace; they are keeping vital information from the sector, from parents and teachers. They cut them out of the conversation and assume that they have a right to rule from on high and, when they had the chance to be transparent, they walked away from the opportunity that Labor provided them to do the right thing. Instead, they shut down debate. They have not delivered funding in 2015; they have not committed to year 5 and year 6 of the Gonski funding. This government cannot be trusted in any policy area. (Time expired)

Matthew Canavan (Queensland, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Through you, Mr Deputy President, what I think is a disgrace is that the Australian Labor Party are abusing the vulnerabilities of parents of children with disabilities to say things that are simply not true. There is a disability loading right now.

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

Defend your policy.

Matthew Canavan (Queensland, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator O'Neill, I have actually been to a school in the last couple of months. I am sure you have too, but you did not refer to any evidence on the ground in your contribution. I went to one in Bundaberg during the state election campaign with the state member, Stephen Bennett. During 2014 that school received hundreds of thousands dollars more to provide more disability services. That was rolled out through what we here call Gonski, but in Queensland I think they call it the Better Schools program. It was focused on providing disabled students with more services, more resources and more teacher time. That amounted to $1.2 billion this year alone in funding for disabled students. Is that enough? I do not know. Perhaps we always need more money to help disabled children. But, Senator O'Neill, what I have a problem with is that we had a bipartisan agreement to do more on the NDIS and to put more money—

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

We had a unity ticket on Gonski.

Matthew Canavan (Queensland, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And you on that side do not want to contribute and do not want to cooperate on something that we all agree must happen. You just want to play politics. You want to play politics with people's lives and disabled children's lives, and I find that disgraceful. I find it absolutely disgraceful, because this year we are providing $1.2 billion more, and that is funding more services. I am sure more can be done, but when I hear the arguments from the other side I am reminded of my kids.

My kids are just like the Labor Party—they want everything. They want to eat lollies for afternoon tea; they want to play computer games all night. When I go home, I am going to build a new computer with my son, and he will want to play computer games all weekend. I am going to have a monumental battle with him when I tell him: 'No, you can only play four hours at a time. You have to do your homework and other things as well.' That is what responsible people do. They say: 'Yes, you can have fun every now and again. Yes, you can have a few sweets every now and again, but you also have to worry about your weight. You also have to study for your future and put away for a rainy day.'

But the Labor Party does not think like that; they act like kids in this place. They want to have everything. They want to have more money to spend on services for disabled children—a noble cause—but we do not have an unlimited amount of money. They want to spend more money on the NDIS. We heard Senator Singh say they want more money for foreign aid. How are they going to fund all of this? The reason we have had to make some tough decisions—

Sue Lines (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You're funding it through cutting pensions.

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order!

Matthew Canavan (Queensland, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The reason we have had to make those tough decisions is because you guys wasted all the money. You spent billions and billions of dollars on things we could not afford and now we do not have money in the bank to do all the things we would like to do.

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

It's never been lower. It's a national shame.

Matthew Canavan (Queensland, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator O'Neill, you are complaining about cuts to the foreign aid, but that is exactly what you did in your last budget—it may have been in your second last budget, 2012-13. You cut $2.9 billion from the foreign aid budget in that year and now you come in here, with no sign of hypocrisy, and sanctimoniously say, 'Oh, isn't it terrible that we're not spending more money on foreign aid.' You did it! You did it two years ago. It is unfortunate that we cannot give more money to the people overseas who need it, but we cannot give it because of the spending decisions you made when you were in government. You wasted billions and billions of dollars. We heard in question time from Senator Cash that in just one area we wasted $11 billion on processing offshore arrivals—a problem that was created entirely by the policies of the Australian Labor Party.

Wouldn't it have been nice to have had $11 billion to spend on services for disabled children? Wouldn't it have been nice to not have to cut our foreign aid budget as much as we have had to do if we had had that $11 billion? But you did that. And we cannot get that money back now; we have to pay it back. We have to pay it back to those overseas whom we borrowed money from—to the Chinese government, to oil barons in the Middle East. That is who we borrowed money from. All that money that you wasted has to be repaid now. Unfortunately, that means that we cannot fund all of the things that we would like to do, including in the disabled space, the health space and the education space.

Sue Lines (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the motion to take note of answers to questions about cuts to disability and education funding. Despite the questions that Labor asked in question time today, the question which the apprentice working under 'the fixer', Senator Birmingham, could not answer was: 'Why are parents of children with disability here in the parliament today?' I can answer that question. They are here because funding has been cut to their children's schools and to their education. And, if we want equality of opportunity, it means that some people need more support to get through the education system than others—and that is a fair thing, because we do want all of our children, regardless of their circumstance, to succeed at school.

When Labor was in government, we achieved a bipartisan commitment to the introduction of a disability loading as part of the national education reform, and that was for the 2015 school year. This promise reflected Australia's commitment to progressing the rights and equal opportunities of people with disability. Of course, because the Abbott team was so desperate to get elected, they made promise after promise, none of which have been kept, all of which have been broken. The promise of bipartisanship on funding to students with disabilities went by the wayside. It just disappeared. That is why parents are here today with their children—to really push home the message to the Abbott government that this is not fair, that the funding that was promised, the bipartisanship that was promised, should be something the government commits to. There will be weasel words and they will wriggle and they will carry on and they will talk about Labor. They cannot talk about their own policies, because their own policies clearly are about cuts. Otherwise, why would parents be here today? They are here because they are seeing firsthand that that bipartisan approach is now broken. Like the PM's promise, it is broken. It will affect around 100,000 students.

Why would the Abbott government disadvantage 100,000 students in getting a good education? They are just pawns in the game, like everyone else: pensioners, our health system, and on and on the list goes. Children with disability are the latest pawns in the Abbott government's litany of broken promises. Of course children with disability face severe disadvantage at school: a limited choice of school, discrimination, bullying, limited or no funding for support and resources, sometimes not appropriate access to trained staff, and having to contend with the culture of low expectations. And where will the money come from to support those children at school? Does the Abbott government seriously think that parents have to put their hand in their pocket or that somehow there are schools that can twist their funding and put a little bit more money the way of children with disabilities? Is that what the coalition government expects?

Certainly in my state of Western Australia, where the state government has imposed the most severe cuts we have seen in the history of education in Western Australia, this puts those students with disadvantage in a much worse position. In Western Australia we have high schools that have lost $1 million in funding and primary schools in the most disadvantaged areas that have lost half a million dollars. Of course that equates to staff numbers. Of course that equates to the amount of time that you can give to children with disability, or to any other disadvantaged group in a school. And now, on top of this, we have the broken promise from the Abbott government.

Throwing away bipartisanship in relation to children with disability is part of a legacy that will take years and years to address in my state of Western Australia—and I imagine right across the country. That is the reason we have parents in the parliament today. That is the reason we have children with disability here today, staring the Abbott government in the face, making sure that the Abbott government absolutely understands that its broken promise on education— (Time expired)

Question agreed to.