Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Hansard source

I can tell the member for Durack that, in more good news from the coalition government, we are moving decisively to try and address the gap in Indigenous education through some of the methods that we are employing since being elected.

We believe—and I am sure that this would be a bipartisan view—that we have to close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians around education. Therefore, today is a good day to talk about some of the measures the government has implemented.

I can tell you that we have put $900 million, over the next four years, into the extra Indigenous loading for Indigenous students as part of the new school funding model. I personally reversed the cut that Labor made to the boarding schools for Indigenous students, putting $6.8 million back into support Indigenous students in Australian boarding schools. The member for Solomon played a very large part in bringing that about.

Today I can announce that 300 teachers—

Mr Snowdon interjecting—

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