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

My question is to the Minister for Education and Training, Senator Birmingham. Can the minister update the Senate on the support for the Turnbull government's school funding reforms?

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

I thank Senator McKenzie for her continued passionate advocacy in relation to school funding reforms and to a fair deal for all Australians, particularly for regional and rural schools, who are big winners under these reforms. Of course, I know that somebody else who cares greatly about rural and regional Australia is former Senator Edwards, who I am delighted to see in the gallery—a fine champion of regional issues, particularly in my home state of South Australia.

There has been a further wave of endorsements and support for the Turnbull government's school funding reforms—a further wave that I am delighted has been led by none other than a former president of the Australian Education Union. Finally, some of those who seem to have been simply colluding with the Labor Party for political gain have actually realised that there are real gains to be had. The former president of the AEU, Ms Dianne Foggo, has said, 'But, you know, this is just too big for politics. This is a real opportunity, and honestly I am just over the theatrics of this, because if this opportunity slips past, as I said, I just doubt we are going to get another chance at this.' Ms Foggo continued: 'Why wouldn't we all support something which will give pre-eminence to public schools in Australia? Why wouldn't we support something indeed that delivers the type of model that was recommended by the Gonski panel?' Ms Foggo asks some very fine questions for those opposite, who continue to sit in opposition to these reforms. Why they sit in opposition is of course purely for political opportunism. They continue to seek to muddy the waters of school funding to be in a position to create special deals and arrangements, rather than apply what the very panel that they appointed actually recommended in terms of fair, consistent, needs based funding. That is why we have had that endorsement from Ms Foggo and from a range of other stakeholders, not least Mr Gonski himself.

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

Senator McKenzie, a supplementary question.

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

Can the minister apprise the Senate of how the government's fair, transparent and needs based funding reforms will result in growth for Victorian schools?

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

Victorian schools, for which Senator McKenzie is a proud advocate and representative—and she is of course a former teacher in those schools—will be significant beneficiaries out of these changes. The Victorian public education system will see an average growth rate of 5.4 per cent under these reforms, catching up and making up for the fact that they got a bad deal out of the different deals that were done by the previous, Labor government.

That will see public funding for government school students in Victoria grow from around $2½ thousand per student in 2017 to $4,256 per student in 2027. This is significant growth for Victorian public schools, from $1.53 billion in 2017 all the way through to $3.13 billion by 2027. It will help schools like the Bendigo Senior Secondary College, with around 1,600 students, who will get additional funding over that period of $16 million plus— (Time expired)

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

Senator McKenzie, a final supplementary question?

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

Is the minister aware of any alternative policies around school funding?

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

I am aware that those opposite seem to not have the courage to do what all the members of the crossbench have done, which is sensibly engage in relation to this debate. All the members of the crossbench have been willing to have proper discussions and engagements, recognising that there are real benefits and merits to this reform, that building a proper school funding model for the future is the right thing to do, that the Turnbull government has rescued the Gonski report from the corruption of those opposite and that in doing so we are putting in place true needs based funding for the future.

Those opposite seem to want to cling onto $22 billion they claim of funny money—money that they do not know how they will get, that they spend multiple times over, that in their case is purely about putting in place different deals to buy off different groups rather than the principled, consistent approach the Turnbull government is taking.

Alex Gallacher (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Education and Training, Senator Birmingham. In August last year Prime Minister Turnbull, Minister Scullion and the Liberal member for Grey, Rowan Ramsey, visited the Fregon Anangu School on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands in the far north of South Australia. In 2015 the Fregon Anangu School received funding from the Commonwealth of $9,318 per student. Can the minister confirm that under his education package Commonwealth funding to Fregon Anangu School will decrease to only $7,307 per student in 2018?

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

I am delighted to confirm for Senator Gallacher that government schools in South Australia will see significant funding gains under the proposal. The South Australian government stands to receive $446 million this year, which will grow to $480 million next year. That is additional funding that keeps going up and up, all the way through to 2027, to $853 million—

Alex Gallacher (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, my point of order is on direct relevance: I asked about Fregon Anangu School.

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

I think we need to be fair to the minister, Senator Gallacher. He is only a quarter of the way into his answer, and he was addressing part of the detail of what you have asked.

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

So, across South Australian government schools, on average, per-student funding will grow, and that per-student funding will grow from $2,600 per student to nearly $4,500 per student under the reforms in question. Equally, I would invite Senator Gallacher to take a look at the published documents the Turnbull government has put out that shows that the school in question will receive a growth in funding. There will be from around $654,000 up to around $5 million of growth over the 10-year period—significant growth over that period of time, ensuring that each school benefits. Of course, the South Australian government, like any system, has its autonomy to make sure that it funds each of its schools responsibly. But the South Australian government gets more money under this model.

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

It's Commonwealth funding.

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

Senator Wong does not appreciate the fact that the Commonwealth gives the money to each of the state governments—she obviously has no idea how this works as she yells out that this is Commonwealth funding. Of course we give a single cheque to each of the state governments, but that cheque goes up each and every year into the future and we are providing real benefits to each of those schools right across South Australia.

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

Senator Gallacher, a supplementary question.

Alex Gallacher (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, how is it fair that students at the Fregon Anangu School will receive a cut in funding of $2,011 per student, or 22 per cent?

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

I refer the honourable senator directly to the school funding estimator that has been published. It shows the 2017 funding for this school is $6,892. That grows in 2018 to $7,307 and in 2027, $11,891. That is a significant increase for that school. Of course it is a school that is part of a system, and that system overall receives a significant increase as well at a faster rate than most other states and territories because, once again, South Australia signed up to a dud deal at the time under the Gillard government. We will rectify that by ensuring that all states and territories are treated equally according to the need of the students and schools within their system.

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

Senator Gallacher, a final supplementary question.

Alex Gallacher (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Given students at the Fregon Anangu School will see a cut in funding while the King's School in Sydney will see a funding boost of $19 million, is it not clear that Turnbull's education package is deeply flawed and will leave students in low-socioeconomic regions worse off?

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

Sometimes there are good examples of why we need to do more to lift numeracy skills in Australia, and sometimes those examples are here in the Senate chamber with us. The facts are clear, and I have read them out: funding for the school in question grows each year into the future under the Turnbull government's model. Funding for the South Australian government education system grows each year into the future under the Turnbull government's model. That is basic numeracy; that is basic maths—there is more funding to help schools exactly like this one as there is for every school right across the South Australian government education system and indeed across government education systems around the country.