Andrew Broad (Mallee, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for the Environment and Energy, representing the Minister for Education and Training. Will the minister inform the House of how the government's needs based funding model will provide the greatest funding increase to the most disadvantaged schools, like St Mary's F-8 School in Robinvale and Jeparit Primary School, both in the electorate of Mallee? Is the minister aware of any alternative approaches?

Josh Frydenberg (Kooyong, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Mallee for his question. I know that he strongly supports the Turnbull government's commitment to increasing school funding by $18.6 billion over the next decade—a 75 per cent increase which will see more than 9,000 schools benefit, including the 119 schools in the electorate of Mallee. Those schools have 23,000 students and they will all benefit from the Turnbull government's school reforms.

In the electorate of Mallee, the member referred to Jeparit Primary School. It will see its funding going from under $5,000 per student today to more than $8,000 per student. And the founder of our great party, Sir Robert Gordon Menzies, went to Jeparit Primary School. Sir Robert Gordon Menzies rejected the sectarianism, the class warfare and the faceless men of those opposite, led at the time by Arthur Calwell. In 1963, Sir Robert Menzies, for the first time, properly funded the Catholic system—

Mr Brendan O'Connor interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Gorton is warned!

Josh Frydenberg (Kooyong, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

So we will not take any lectures from you, Leader of the Opposition! We were the ones who first supported funding for the Catholic system. We will not take any lectures from you. St Mary's Catholic school in Robinvale will, under the Turnbull government's plan, get an extra $6 million over the coming decade.

I am asked if I am aware of any alternative approaches. We know that those opposite have 27 secret and special deals. We know that those opposite support different funding for a student in South Australia who has the same needs as a student in Western Australia. We know that those opposite never provided sufficient funding for their school reforms. The member for Sydney, who gave up her high-flying shadow foreign affairs role so she could take some domestic portfolio and be close to the action, has been gazumped by our school funding model. The member for Sydney has to go to the 40 public schools in her electorate—like Bourke Street Public School, like Crown Street Public School and like Darlinghurst Public School—and tell them that they will be better off under the Turnbull government's plans. The member for Sydney is now looking at her phone. She knows that only the coalition will provide more funding for schools in her electorate and across Australia. (Time expired)