Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Education and Training, Senator Birmingham. I would like to also congratulate the minister for nine years of service to his home state of South Australia and to the Senate—happy anniversary! Can the minister outline to the Senate how the government's quality schools and quality outcomes funding plan will help ensure students are prepared for the jobs of the future?

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

I thank Senator McKenzie for her question and for her congratulations. She is another former teacher on this side of the chamber like Senator Lindgren, who asked me a question on teachers and education yesterday. I thank you for the congratulations. I do acknowledge that my colleague and friend from South Australia, Senator Bernardi, marks 10 years tomorrow in his service to this place. I congratulate him.

We have a very clear plan as a government, which Senator McKenzie rightly highlights, to focus on the things that will make a real difference to our children, to our schools, to educational outcomes in Australia. It is a plan that is not just like Labor 's about how much is spent but a plan to ensure we support those who need it most, a plan to ensure that we identify the students who need the earliest intervention at the earliest opportunity and that they get that support, a plan to raise ambition for the study of maths and sciences at the highest level and to ensure that through our schools students actually meet minimum standards in literacy and numerously before they complete their education. It is a plan to reward our most capable teachers to ensure that they are given the financial incentives to stay in schools and to work in our most disadvantaged schools as well. It is a plan that sees funding grow from current record levels well above inflation each and every year into the future but at an affordable rate. It is in contrast to those opposite whose plan is far from affordable. They claim they will spend an extra $30 billion over the next decade in schools, and Ms Ellis confirmed in the House of Representatives just yesterday that the $30 billion would be funded by their cigarette tax. But guess what? Today we find that there is a $20 billion hole in the cigarette tax. That is two in every three dollars that has gone missing from Labor's school funding in just one day. That is why the affordability of our plan is central to the credibility of our plan. (Time expired)

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Is the minister aware of community responses to the government's Quality Schools, Quality Outcomes funding plan?

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

I am delighted that a range of peak bodies in the education and schooling sector, experts in educational pedagogies and industry bodies have welcomed the approach the Turnbull coalition government is taking with our plan to make sure school funding drives reforms and outcomes in schools around Australia. They understand it is not just about how much you spend, it is about how well and how wisely you spend it, and you have to make sure the money goes where it will make the greatest difference. I quote from an editorial in the Herald Sun:

This is why it is important that every dollar spent on the education system is done so in a way that maximises the learning potential of students while getting the most value out of teachers. The Government's back-to-basics approach deserves support and could spell a positive change in the way we prepare our youth for the challenges ahead.

It is a detailed plan, it is a real plan and it is in contrast to those opposite. (Time expired)

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Is the minister aware of any alternative approaches?

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

I am aware of alternative approaches—to promise a lot of spending that is unfunded, that does not actually have the funds to pay for it. As I told the chamber before, we find that, of Labor's promised $30 billion in spending, $20 billion of the so-called savings—or extra taxes—are missing. Of course, this is not the first time Labor has got it wrong in schools funding or higher education policy. On the proposed HECS debt policy that Mr Shorten had in his budget reply last year, the changes there had three different policies within 24 hours in terms of the costings. That is the type of arrogance we know from the Labor Party; they are happy to throw cash around. That is the type of arrogance that we saw from the missing Senator Dastyari yesterday, when he decided to abuse South Australians for living in South Australia, when he wanted to demean South Australia. He is obviously not here because he still has Senator Wong's bootprint on his backside! Clearly those opposite are continuing the arrogance from their years in government. (Time expired)