Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Aged Care) Share this | Hansard source

I do not think I could articulate the arguments from our side any better than Senator Collins, but I do have some questions, because I have been inundated with calls and emails from concerned parents and teachers around Tasmania and around the country. And they are not just from Catholic schools, as was asserted earlier today when I was making a contribution, but also from the state school system and from the Anglican schools. People are very concerned, because so many mixed messages have been sent out by this government. But we do know—there is one thing that is very clear, as far as we know, standing here right now—that this government plans to take away $22 billion from Australian children.

But I do think it is important to actually try to gather some information, because during question time today the minister was saying things about those on this side who were asking questions—that it is why we need to put more emphasis on education, because we on this side cannot add up. Well, quite frankly, it is not us that are having the problem with the figures; it is this government and this minister. We have already established, through question time today, that Lauriston Girls' School in Melbourne, which has fees for its primary school of up to $27,000, is now set to get seven times the funding increase of other primary schools. One in particular that was mentioned today was Anula Primary School in Darwin. I ask the minister: how is that fair?

I also want to talk about some schools that I visited in Tasmania, and I will get to that in a moment. But first I want to ask you, Minister, because you were very diligent in avoiding answering the question when it was raised by Senator Brown, about the cut in funding for children with disabilities who get assistance through our Tasmanian education system: how can a cut not be a cut? Also, can you provide the figure for the funding they currently receive and the funding they will receive through this bill, if it gets passed.

If it gets passed it will be because of the dirty deals you have done with those people on the crossbenches. You have done a deal with Senator Hanson, who made outrageous comments in relation to children with disabilities in our state primary and high schools throughout this country. Senator Hanson is the senator from Queensland who will never stand up for a school like the Holy Spirit Catholic School in Townsville, which does a fantastic job. Yet, you, as the education minister, are sidling up to Pauline Hanson and her party to get your dirty deal through at the cost of children with disabilities in this country, despite her outrageous comments. I find that grossly offensive. I think you will find, if you look in the media—if you go on any social media site—that your reputation has been greatly tarnished by that issue alone.

What is the impact on Tasmanian schools as a whole? How many children are going to be impacted by these savage cuts? Can you explain to the Senate what this government's modelling is based on, so that I can go back to my constituents and try to explain to them. How many classrooms are going to lose valuable resources? Can you tell me, if we break it down into Catholic schools in Tasmania, what the actual cut to the Catholic schools will be, because I want to know whether or not their figures match up with yours.

We know that you have not even been able to provide accurate data to your own caucus, and that you are telling some members of your caucus one thing and something quite different to others. Who knows what you have been telling the crossbenchers in trying to get their support for your grubby deal! How do Tasmanian schools fair in comparison with the King's School in Sydney? The King's School is a private school, which from the figures we have seen is going to have their funding increased dramatically. I want you to be able to explain to me why Tasmanian children are going to have to pay the price so that you can look after your friends in the top end of town.

I also want to look at some specific schools that I have visited. I know about the great work that they are doing at some of the most disadvantaged schools in our community. Can you please tell me what the impact on the Youngtown Primary School will be. That school does wonderful things. I am not sure if Senator Bushby, who is here, has even bothered to visit any schools in Launceston. I know he is supposedly moving his office to Launceston, but we have not heard him make any contribution at all in this debate. So I want you to explain to me, so that Senator Bushby can understand, what the impact is going to be on the Youngtown Primary School.

Mayfield Primary School has been recognised nationally over the years for the wonderful work that they have done in an area of great disadvantage. Their teachers have been acknowledged at a national level. They believe this change is going to have a huge impact on their ability to look after their community. Can you explain to me how much extra money they are going to get? Then there is Port Dalrymple School down in George Town. Can you explain to me if their funding is going to increase, and, if so, by how much, or why those children, who are from families who need all the support they can get to ensure their children have a good education, are going to be disadvantaged and their teachers lose money and resources?

The Friends' School in Hobart—that's right, it is one of your favourite ones; it is a private school—are going to significantly increase their money. Can you please explain to me and justify why The Friends' School will get more money? I do not have a problem with private schools at all; it should be about choice. Many families do make a choice to invest in their children's education. It is just very unfortunate that this government sees education as a cost rather than an investment. Minister, can you explain to the chamber why The Friends' School in Hobart, a well-funded private school that provides a good education, gets an increase when Norwood Primary School, Sacred Heart Primary School, West Launceston Primary School, Mayfield Primary School, Youngtown Primary School and East Launceston Primary School are going to lose out in this education bill?

I was wondering too if you can tell me what the impact will be on the Launceston Preparatory School, a small private school in Launceston that does an absolutely wonderful job for its students. Can you explain it to me and give us the figures? After all, Minister, you are the one who was saying that we in the opposition have not been able to add up. I think you said 'we should all go back to school' or something; I do not want to verbal you, but you made some trite comment. I would be most interested in the figures. I just do not get it. You have met with various sections within the education sector and they have asked you to go back to the drawing board and ensure that there is real fairness in this bill. We on this side have urged you to withdraw and redraft the bill so that it can get support. But you have failed to do that. You are hell-bent on moving forward—and who knows what dirty deals you have done. Perhaps you can now let us know.

I have not had the opportunity to see the amendments that are being proposed, but I am really interested. I know that my constituency of Tasmania wants to know—whether it is the public schools, the Anglican schools or the Catholic schools—what is fair in this bill that is going to ensure that Tasmanian schools are not going to be worse off. We know Tasmania has the second-lowest amount of funding in the country. At the same time, Senator Bushby, Senator Duniam and the President, Senator Parry, are not saying anything about the impact of this bill and the cuts to Tasmania. The only senator on the government side who has raised concerns is Senator Abetz. Unfortunately, for personal reasons, he cannot be here this week. But he has spoken up. Not one of the others has spoken up. Is this punishment for the Tasmanian community because they voted the incompetent Liberal House of Representatives members for Bass, Lyons and Braddon out of parliament? Is this another attempt by Mr Turnbull and this government to punish Tasmania? That is what it seems like to me. And it is not just me who thinks that way. The Tasmanian community are fed up with this government. Ever since 2 July, when they got rid of those three amigos out of Tasmania—mind you, they have all landed plum jobs provided by this government—they have known; and this piece of legislation is just another move by this government to show how arrogant you are, how out of touch you are and that you just do not understand the word 'fairness'.

Minister, I am looking forward to your explanation so that I can go to my community and try and explain to them the dirty deals you have done. Perhaps you could enlighten us—I think you have the obligation to do that in this place—of the deals you have done and put in place with people like the Pauline Hanson party. We would like to know what it is that you have promised them. Have you got something in writing for them? Is Senator Back going to ride off into retirement and be happy? Have you actually done a deal for the Catholic Education Commission in this country? We want to know, and we have a right to know. From what I have been hearing around this building over the last couple of days, there are all sorts of rumours going around. What have you done to make sure that people like Mr Abbott do not undermine the Prime Minister yet again in the media. If I were him, I would use this, because he knows, like I know, that the parents of Australian kids, whether those kids are in a state school, a private school or a Catholic school, are not going to forget the way they have been treated. You have taken them for granted.

What is it when the Catholic Education Commission meets with the Prime Minister and the Minister for Education and Training? What a badge of honour that would be: to say that you are the worst minister for education in five decades and a Prime Minister who has failed to consult with his minister, the one charged with this responsibility. This is a huge investment from any government into education and the government has failed to consult and talk to those people who deliver more than just education in their communities. As I have said before in this place, Catholic parishes set up schools where they are needed to provide not only education but also support for the entire family. This government is so arrogant—and who knows what else is going on in the civil war in the dysfunctional government that this is.

Minister, I will draw you back to the schools that I would like some answers about tonight—that is, the Tasmanian schools and the overall lack of funding that is in this bill for them. They are not going to be any better off. Some of that money will never reach the schools which you have alluded to over the course of this week. I would like you tell us what the impact is going to be on Tasmanian schools, broken down into public schools, Catholic, schools, Anglican schools and those private schools I have mentioned. I, along with many people who will be listening to this broadcast, will be very interested to see how you try and justify the sort of dirty deal that you have obviously done during the course of the last 48 hours.