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

I am delighted finally to be asked a question by the opposition on an education issue. It is the first one in this parliament, in fact. I am very happy to answer it. The government announced yesterday that we will put back into school education the $1.2 billion that the previous minister for education, the now Leader of the Opposition, took out. For Queensland that means $794 million more over the next four years that they can spend on schools and on school students. I am very pleased to be able to say that John-Paul Langbroek, the Queensland minister for education, put out a statement yesterday saying that that money would be used for improving principal autonomy, discipline in schools and teacher quality, according entirely with this government's priorities and, most importantly, the priorities of parents and grandparents for their students in schools.

Parents and grandparents are not interested in the petty political games being played by the opposition on this issue. They are much more interested in results for their students—for their children and grandchildren. They are much more interested in quality and standards, which is what this government is interested in. We say to Queensland: 'We will treat you like an adult government. We're not going to have central command and control of your school systems from Canberra.' There is a very good reason for that. We do not own or operate any schools in Queensland. I know that will come as a shock to the shadow minister for education, who has only a passing interest in education, herself, personally—

Ms Rishworth interjecting—

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