Jacqui Lambie (Tasmania, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, my question without notice is to the education minister. I refer the minister to the public comments of the Tasmanian Liberal education minister, Jeremy Rockliff, on Friday, 8 April, where he stated, 'State schools would be $100 million worse off in 2018-19 without Gonski funding.' Will the minister today guarantee $100 million of Gonski funding for our state schools?

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

I thank Senator Lambie for her question. What I certainly guarantee, Senator Lambie, is that funding has grown over the last couple of years at record levels into schools right around Australia, including government schools in Tasmania, and that funding will continue to grow at record levels this year into schools in Tasmania and next year into schools in Tasmania. Beyond that, Senator Lambie, I give you—through you, Mr President—the assurances that funding will keep growing year on year on year thereafter, that there is a guarantee from this government that we will maintain and grow funding for schools right around Australia and that that funding will ensure that schools who are currently doing more as a result of the additional funding they have received will be able to keep doing the things they are currently doing. Schools who are planning to do more next year as a result of additional funding they receive will be able to keep doing those things, because funding will keep up with costs, it will keep up with enrolments and it will ensure that there is money there for our schools into the future.

As I have said in this place before and in many other places, money is important in schools, but how you use it matters even more. That is why the government are committed to ensuring that we deliver on teacher quality reforms, that future teachers who have gone through our universities for primary schools have specialisations in maths, science, literacy and languages, and that those teachers actually meet minimum standards in terms of their own literacy and numeracy capabilities.

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

It's all talk!

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

No, it is not all talk, Senator O'Neill. These are reforms that states and territories have agreed to, are working with us on, are being delivered through AITSL—

Jacqui Lambie (Tasmania, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order.

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

Pause the clock.

Jacqui Lambie (Tasmania, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I simply asked for a guarantee that $100 million of the Gonski funding to our state schools will be guaranteed. I do not need a tap dance. Tasmanians simply want to know. One hundred million dollars—are you going to guarantee the Gonski funding?

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

The minister was addressing the question in relation to guaranteeing an increase of funding. The minister has 14 seconds.

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

I am more than happy to tell Senator Lambie that Tasmanian funding will grow by $54.3 million, or 15.4 per cent over the four-year period of the current budget cycle. It is significant growth—(Time expired)

Jacqui Lambie (Tasmania, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I refer the minister to his answer and to the Tasmanian Liberal state education minister's additional statements, where he said that he 'fears Tasmanian school children could be entrenched in disadvantage should the federal government not commit to two years of Students First funding.' Does the minister agree with his Liberal state colleague and what plan does he have to prevent entrenched disadvantage for Tasmanian school children?

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

Our plans for school children right around Australia—and in Tasmania in particular, for Senator Lambie—are to continue to grow school funding and to ensure that school funding is delivered on the basis of need. Our plans are that, where there are communities of higher socioeconomic disadvantage, schools receive a loading to support those students; that, where there are students with a disability, those schools get a loading to support the educational assistance and adjustment required for those students with disability; and that, where there are students from an Indigenous background, they receive additional assistance.

These are the commitments that the government make. We will make sure the funding is there, that it is budgeted and that it is deliverable, but also that it is affordable. Most importantly, we will work with the states and territories to ensure reform in our schools so that the money is used as effectively as possible on effective national curricula, on teacher quality reforms, on parental engagement, on measures that lift engagement in science, technology, engineering and mathematics— (Time expired)

Jacqui Lambie (Tasmania, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Can the education minister explain to the Tasmanian schoolchildren that he has abandoned why he is still committed to former education minister Pyne's higher education changes that will guarantee degrees of up to $100,000 and open up Tasmania to the sort of rorting of $6 billion that has plagued the privatisation of Australia's vocational educational training program?

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

Firstly, in relation to the assertion that we have abandoned any children, let me again restate for Senator Lambie: more than 15 per cent growth in funding to Tasmania—funding that will continue to grow in relation to schoolchildren. Let me secondly deal with the issue in relation to higher education. I have to say that working, as Senator Ryan is now doing, to clean up the VET FEE-HELP mess of those opposite was indeed a scarring experience and one that means I am determined to make sure that any future reforms in higher education—to the HELP scheme or otherwise—ensure the sustainability of that scheme, ensure that students are actually getting value for money in whatever education is there and ensure that we put in place measures that guarantee equity of access to students.

Jacqui Lambie (Tasmania, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President—

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

Pause the clock.

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

Just because you do not like the answer, Senator Lambie—

Jacqui Lambie (Tasmania, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order. I just want a guarantee that degrees are not going to cost $100,000. That is what I want to know; that is what Tasmanians want to know.

Cory Bernardi (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I agree with Jacqui—the education system has clearly failed her!

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

Order! Senator Lambie, you did ask the minister at the front of your question 'could he please explain,' and several items. The minister has been explaining.

Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order. Senator Bernardi cast aspersions on Senator Lambie. He should withdraw.

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

Order on both sides! Senator Bernardi, I did not hear anything that may have been said, but if you did say anything inappropriate I would ask you to withdraw.

Cory Bernardi (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, I did not say anything inappropriate.

Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order. I do not know what you have to do to cast an aspersion on a fellow senator other than to say that the education system in Tasmania has failed the senator. It should be withdrawn.

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

On the point of order, Senator Bernardi?

Cory Bernardi (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think Senator Cameron did accurately reflect what I said. I still do not believe it is unparliamentary, but I am happy to take guidance from you, Mr President.

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

Order! On both sides. There are two aspects to the point of order. Firstly, Senator Bernardi did not have the call, and, secondly, it was not directly attributed to Senator Lambie in an adverse way.

Honourable senators interjecting—

Order! Senator Bernardi, so we can progress, you did offer to withdraw if it assisted the chamber. It will assist the chamber if you wish to withdraw.

Cory Bernardi (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You are giving me an option to opt out, but I will withdraw if it assists you.

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

Thank you, Senator Bernardi. That assists the chamber, so we can progress. Just before I move to Senator Wong, we do have eight seconds left. Minister, have you concluded your answer?

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

I offer an assurance that anything this government has in relation to higher education reforms will ensure fair and equitable access for all Australians of all backgrounds, without having to pay a dollar up-front. (Time expired)