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

My question is to the Minister for Education and Training. Does the minister expect to capture a greater number of students with a disability under the new system? If so, how many more? Can the minister also provide the number of students expected to be captured by the supplementary category, the number of students expected to be captured by the substantial category and the number of students expected to be captured by the extensive category?

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

I say to Senator Lambie—through you, Mr President—that I do not have all of those numbers with me in the chamber. I am happy to take that on notice and provide them to her at the earliest opportunity. I can say on the proposal to implement this use of the nationally consistent collection of data on students with a disability that it will capture more students across Australia and therefore provide more support for students with disability across Australia. We have growing funding that will be available to support those students with disability around Australia. It is designed to ensure that the support for students with disability actually targets and meets the needs identified by the classroom teachers and schools in terms of the level of adjustment assistance that an individual student requires. It has been long worked upon and long advocated for by those opposite and others that we should move to funding on the basis of NCCD data, and that indeed is what we seek to do in this model which will capture and support record numbers of students in the future by providing support based on identification by their schools and their classroom teachers.

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

Senator Lambie, a supplementary question.

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

Minister, under your proposal principals and teachers will determine which student with a disability fits into which category—supplementary, substantial or extensive—under the nationally consistent collection of data. Given that the NCCD is still new, and given that funding driven by what is primarily self-reporting can often lead to rorting, how does the minister propose to prevent questionable reporting?

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

Senator Lambie has raised a very important question. That is addressed through ensuring there is a consistent moderation approach applied across each of the states and territories and across each of the different schooling systems in Australia. That moderation approach has been developed by each of those states. It is overseen by a working group that comprises representatives of all states and territories and the Catholic and independent education systems. They will continue to work to refine that. I note that, in Tasmania, the moderation approach is regarded as reasonably well advanced in some of the independent auditing that has been undertaken of the NCCD process to date. All schools across Australia have participated in this data collection process for the last couple of years now, so they are well versed in what it means, how to apply it and the reporting arrangements for it. Of course, we will work very hard with the states and territories to continue to improve that, including the moderation around that data to ensure there is no rorting of it. (Time expired)

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

Senator Lambie, a final supplementary question.

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

Under the coalition's Australian Education Amendment Bill, Tasmanian students with a disability are reported to lose a total of $12 million across all sectors in 2018. When the education sector already considers students with a disability to be under-resourced, how can you justify making these cuts?

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

As I outlined in response to Senator Duniam earlier, the overall rate of increase for Tasmanian school students is in excess of four per cent per annum. That is net of all the different changes, including the impact of using the national existing collection of data on students with disability. As I said, that data does capture more students across the country; but it is correct that the reporting rates from schools in Tasmania have been lower than elsewhere around the country. In that sense, it is a demand driven loading; as long as schools are reporting according to the methodology, for students who genuinely need that support and assistance in the future, that support will flow into their schools, their systems—whichever they are—across all of the different sectors. That is reflective of the need identified by each of their schools and classroom teachers rather than a model which, at present, is one flat loading which does not adjust for the relative need of different students with disability. (Time expired)

Malarndirri McCarthy (NT, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Education and Training, Senator Birmingham. The Department of Education and Training has revealed that funding for students with disability loading in Tasmania will fall from $36 million in 2017 to $24 million in 2018. When asked in question time yesterday why his government was cutting funding for students with disabilities in Tasmania by around one-third, or $12 million, in 2018, the Prime Minister said, 'I reject the assertion.' Who is correct, the Department of Education or the Prime Minister?

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

The government is providing almost $1.6 billion this year for students with disability support across Australia, which is around half a billion dollars more than was the case back in 2014—strong growth that has been there under the coalition government in terms of support for students with disability and strong growth that will continue into the future under our reforms that will see additional funding for students with disability across Australia and more students captured as a result of the use of the NCCD report. I have just answered a question from Senator Lambie in relation to data particular to Tasmania. I committed to the Senate to come back with that answer and, of course, that is what I will do.

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

Order! Pause the clock. Senator McCarthy, a point of order.

Malarndirri McCarthy (NT, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question was: who is correct, the Department of Education and Training or the Prime Minister?

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

Minister, have you concluded your answer or do you have more to offer?

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

I can add—

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

In that case, I just will remind you of the question that was asked by Senator McCarthy.

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

I can add that estimated Commonwealth funding in Tasmania will continue to grow from $409 million to $427 million next year, to $594 million by 2027—

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

Order, Minister! Senator Wong, a point of order?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The point of order is direct relevance. The question did not relate to aggregate funding, which are the figures that the minister is giving us. It was a very specific question about the Prime Minister's answer in question time yesterday where he denied evidence which was given by the department. The minister is being asked a simple question: who is correct, the department or the Prime Minister?

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

I will remind the minister of the question.

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

I have not seen what the Prime Minister's question or answer was in question time yesterday. I am absolutely confident that the Prime Minister would absolutely have given accurate information reflective of the growing rate of funding that school students in Tasmania receive. As I indicated to Senator Lambie, I will, of course, happily provide specific information to her.

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

Senator McCarthy, a supplementary question.

Malarndirri McCarthy (NT, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Why is the Turnbull government cutting funding for students with a disability in the Northern Territory public schools by $10 million, or 40 per cent, in 2018 at the same time that it is giving millionaires a $16,400 tax cut?

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

The Turnbull government has committed very clearly that we will maintain and increase funding to public schools in the Northern Territory. Of course, there is an overall increase in funding support for schools in the Northern Territory that is quite substantial. We have recognised that there are unique circumstances in relation to the Northern Territory, and we will back the Territory government in terms of continued funding support for those schools. Often, though, we hear those opposite run ideas that contrast with the Turnbull government's policies in relation to tax reform as well and our Enterprise Tax Plan.

It is also very clear that we need to make sure that, as well as making sure that today's school students receive fair funding and an excellent education, there are jobs for them at the end. We absolutely will not apologise for driving policies that help create jobs and help create investment across the Australian economy to ensure that, as well as getting a great education, there are great opportunities for today's students when they are tomorrow's employees.

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

Senator McCarthy, a final supplementary question.

Malarndirri McCarthy (NT, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

How is it fair that the Turnbull government is cutting funding for students with a disability in South Australia by $24 million, or 20 per cent, in 2018 at the same time as it is handing $65 billion in tax cuts to big business?

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

Under our reforms, we will provide around $21.2 billion over the next decade to support students with a disability to provide them with the assistance they need right across Australia. There is continued year-on-year growth in the support for students with disabilities. In fact, there is an average growth rate of support for students with disabilities across this package of 5.9 per cent each year across Australia. That is a demonstration of the additional funding that is there and the reality that it captures more students than has ever been the case before because of the utilisation of the NCCD data. This is about delivering a fair model of funding that is applied consistently and, in the case of South Australia, as indeed with the Northern Territory and as indeed with Tasmania, sees schools, including public school systems, receive more funding overall.