Michael Danby (Melbourne Ports, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

Since September last year when the member for Warringah was blindsided by his loyal deputies, the Australian public learnt two lessons about the Prime Minister. First, we learnt he is good at talking. He does his shtick with the media and the common people while gesticulating with his glasses in one hand. He is an antipodean; a patrician; a Francis Urquhart, or a Francis Underwood if you watch Netflix. Second, we have also learnt that Mr Turnbull does not follow through that about which he blathers. He likes to talk, but it is all hot air. He is all pop and no corn. In Melbourne we say: new show bag; same contents.

On the point of policy consistency, the Prime Minister was vociferously in favour of marriage equality—so much so that he pooh-poohed the previous Prime Minister's plebiscite plan. Now he insists to the parliament that he supports a plebiscite. He informs Paul Kelly today that there is no chance he will stand up to the social conservatives in his party and save the budget $160 million and a day at the polls. He will press ahead, even while his rebel backbenchers pledge to vote against the plebiscite whatever the result. Much like Prime Minister Abbott, Prime Minister Turnbull's government will not let public opinion get in the way of its policies.

Likewise with tackling climate change; likewise with the republic. I was there when the republic committee saw Malcolm Turnbull, then a private citizen, leading the charge in 1999. As I asked on Sky recently, when are we going to see the real Malcolm? Now the member for Wentworth is faced with a dilemma. He leads a party that he does not represent and whose faithful do not back his stance on social issues, issues which we on this side of the House came to terms with long years ago. So the Prime Minister's preferred option is to talk, and, like all good barristers, he is good at that.

In my view and the view of the opposition, the myriad challenges that Australia faces, challenges made worse by the environmental policies of those opposite, will only be surmounted by an educated Australian public and a well-funded quality education system. Unlike those opposite, all on this side of the House believe that every Australian has the right to and should have the benefit of a properly funded quality education system. What does Wentworth think? He tells us he thinks innovation is of vital importance but then pulls the rug from under the education system that will produce the next generation of innovators. The Prime Minister supported and now leads a government which has effectively removed $30 billion from the education system. This short-sighted saving to the budget bottom line leaves an education budget that will fail even to keep up with the historical trend of education costs. Education is an investment, not a cost. Mr Turnbull's education budget cuts mean an average cut of $3.2 million per school—the same as sacking 14 per cent of the teachers. Of course, that is why the Catholic education system has been so vociferous in The Sydney Morning Herald today, protesting the government's policies.

This is the same mob, by the way, who said at the last election that they would not make any change to spending on education. Outside all schools there were posters—I well remember them—that said the Liberals would match Labor dollar for dollar on education spending. This is while OECD statistics show Australia is falling behind its peers. As others have noted, we were No. 2 in maths; now we are No. 10. As my colleagues have noted, not only are the Liberal cuts doing damage to Australia's education system today; by ignoring the changing dynamics of education and the global economy, we are hobbling our children and our country for tomorrow.

Under Labor's alternative 'Your Child. Our Future' plan, the funding and reforms recommended by the expert panel led by Gonski will be delivered in full under a Labor government. These reforms will drive opportunity, innovation and the economy through education. They will help all Australian kids, no matter what their background, to get a better start in life and leave school with the tools needed to succeed in our rapidly-changing economy. Of course these changes are expensive. They are specifically funded by additions to the budget from multinational tax avoidance, from unsustainable superannuation tax concessions and from best-practice taxation in the tobacco area.

In my view, the difference is clear, particularly on this issue of education. Labor's policy is an example of conviction. We have demonstrated where it will be funded from. Labor talks and Labor acts; the Prime Minister just talks. New show bag; same contents.

See this speech in context