Jim Chalmers (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Whatever you say, Speaker. My question is to the Minister for Education. I refer to Woodridge State High School in my electorate, where 60 per cent of students come from the lowest socioeconomic backgrounds. Given that the Minister for Education has confirmed that his deals have 'no strings attached', how will the minister ensure that individual students at Woodridge State High School will receive the Gonski loading for disadvantaged kids?

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am surprised and delighted to get a question from a Queensland Labor member about the school funding model, because the Manager of Opposition Business is setting up a number of his colleagues today. Under the Labor Party, Queensland would have been denied $794 million in funding.

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If the member for Rankin were sitting on this side of the House, he would be saying to the students of Woodridge High School—I think it was—'We're going to leave you $794 million short across Queensland.' What an own goal! He is not exactly a neophyte in this building. I think the member used to work for the Treasurer, and so something has rubbed off on the member for Rankin, and it is not good. The former Treasurer used to stand up and drop a few clangers in this place and the current Treasurer used to pick him up. The poor old member for Rankin has been sent out there and told to run in front of that vehicle to see if it runs him down. If it doesn't, and you get up, we'll look after you.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Has the minister concluded his answer?

Government members: More! More!

Jim Chalmers (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On a point of order, Speaker: relevance.

Government members interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is no point of order.

Jim Chalmers (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister is yet to mention disadvantaged kids.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is no point of order.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Rankin mentions disadvantaged children and it is a very good question, because every child in Queensland would have been disadvantaged under the Labor Party if they had been re-elected. Every single student in Queensland—

Ms Owens interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Parramatta is warned.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Every single student in Queensland would be a disadvantaged student under a Labor government, but under the Abbott government, they are $794 million better off. The Labor Party talks about 'no strings attached', and the member for Rankin made the same error. Under the Labor Party, there were strings attached for Queensland, but there was no money for Queensland. Let me pull the member for Rankin up. The Leader of the Opposition, before the election, did a deal with Victoria, and Denis Napthine pinged him, because he said at the last minute—as late as Saturday night—'We had an agreement finally from the federal government that they were prepared to amend the Education Act to confirm the autonomy of Victorian government schools.' In other words, the Leader of the Opposition planned to remove the so-called strings attached before the election. Now, after the election, he is trying to pretend that he was standing up for disadvantaged children. Only one side of the House is standing up for disadvantaged children and it is the one that has put $794 million back into Queensland so that Woodridge High School students get the fair deal they deserve.