Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader for Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Brandis. Minister, will the Abbott government's green paper on Federation include a proposal to cease Commonwealth funding for all schools?

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

Well, Senator Carr, no, it will not. I think what you are referring to is a draft green paper that was reported in the press over the weekend. It was a draft green paper which is an options paper only. It was developed not by this government alone but in consultation with state and territory governments, because we intend to have a mature and measured debate about the future of the Federation. My colleague the Minister for Education, Mr Pyne said this morning:

The Australian Government does not and will not support a means test for public education. Full stop. End of story.

That is the position of the government.

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader for Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Will the Abbott government's green paper on Federation include a proposal to abandon public education by stopping Commonwealth funding for government schools?

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

Far from that, Senator, it was your side of politics that cut $1.2 billion of funding from public schools in the PEFO. It was the Abbott government, Senator Carr, that restored that funding. You cut it; we restored it—

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I raise a point of order on direct relevance to the question asked. The minister is halfway through his response. It is a proposal to abandon public education by stopping federal funding, not a historical lesson.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I remind the minister that he has 34 seconds in which to answer the question.

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

I can understand why the Labor Party does not want to be reminded of the history. Perhaps the Labor Party have heard a little bit too much about history on the ABC on the last two Tuesday nights; we all wait with bated breath for the climax of this particular drama tomorrow night. Notwithstanding that, Senator Moore, it does not lie in the mouth of those who surreptitiously cut $1.2 billion from public education—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Pause the clock.

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I raise a point of order. I know that the minister sat down, but the point of order was as to direct relevance; you drew his attention to the question; he went on and made no effort to come to the question.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will allow the clock to go back to five seconds to when the point of order was first raised. Minister, you have five seconds in which to answer the question. You have concluded your response.

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader for Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. I ask how are the proposals, as outlined in the government's option paper, for the Commonwealth to abandon schools funding, consistent with the Prime Minister's election promise that he would make no cuts to education?

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

Australian education has had no greater friend than the Prime Minister and no greater friend, I might say, than the Minister—

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The fixer!

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

The fixer. Senator Conroy, you are trying to distract me, as you always do. You are very naughty, Senator Conroy. It has no greater friend than the Minister for Education, the member for Sturt, Mr Christopher Pyne. But the fact is, Senator Carr, that unlike that unlamented government in which you served with such conspicuous lack of distinction, we actually believe in future planning. We actually believe in future planning, and if you are going to—

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I raise a point of order again on direct relevance. If the minister could just come somewhere close to the actual question asked by Senator Carr it would be useful.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will remind the minister of the question. You have 14 seconds in which to answer the question, Minister.

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

Senator, an options paper is just that. A draft options paper considers options; that is what green papers are for—the sort of future thinking for which you could never be accused.