Kate Ellis (Adelaide, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Education. The minister has repeatedly said that more funding is not the solution for our schools, yet all that he has offered is funding with no strings attached. Minister, which one is it?

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

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

I ask for quiet on my right as well as on my left. The minister has the call.

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

I thank the member for Adelaide for her question, but I must admit it is starting to feel like a turkey shoot up here. I am almost feeling sorry for the member for Adelaide, because she spent all last week saying we were not putting enough money into education, then we put $1.2 billion into education and now she is saying we are putting too much money into education. What is it? Is it too much? Is it too little? The previous government put 10 per cent more into education. They put $16.4 billion into school halls.

Ms Plibersek interjecting—

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

The deputy leader will remove herself under 94(a).

The member for Sydney then left the chamber.

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

They put $2.6 billion into laptops in schools. Is the shadow minister now saying that that was all wasted money? We thought a lot of it was wasted. Like the member for Perth, we are suddenly on the same team again. This is like being attacked by a pot plant! But I will treat the question seriously. The member for Adelaide asks us about whether we are putting too much money in.

Kate Ellis (Adelaide, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, I didn't.

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

The member for Adelaide will desist. She has asked her question.

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

So in effect she has admitted that the previous government took the $1.2 billion out; we have put it back in. We always said we would keep our election commitments, and we have. We have gone further than our election commitments. We have put $1.2 billion more in, but we have always said that funding is only one element of education, which is something Labor has not caught up with.

Kate Ellis (Adelaide, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

So what are the other elements?

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

We have talked about curriculum—

Kate Ellis (Adelaide, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is that part of the agreement?

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

The member for Adelaide will desist!

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

we have talked about autonomy, we have talked about teacher quality, we have talked about parental engagement—

Ms Kate Ellis interjecting—

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

Does she wish to join the deputy leader?

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

All of those priorities are shared by the states and territories, by the non-government sector, whether it is independent or Catholic. I look forward to working with all my state and territory colleagues, with the Catholics and with the independents to bring about better quality and standards for our students. At least one side of the House takes education seriously. It is this side of the House.