Tom Venning (Grey, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Let's get real. What I'm increasingly becoming frustrated with in relation to this government is the obsession with announcements—record funding this, record funding that—without any focus on outcomes. We as legislators in this place should be focused on outcomes, not announcements. That is certainly why I came to public life. Ultimately, Australians don't live on announcements. They live on outcomes. They live on results.

In my electorate, I represent one of the most diverse communities in the country. That diversity is something that I'm proud of, but it also comes with real challenges. I have communities facing entrenched disadvantage, generational welfare dependence and some of the lowest education outcomes in Australia. In fact, Grey is ranked 146 out of 150 in Australia, and that is simply not good enough. And yet, despite all this so-called record funding, the data is going backwards. The evidence is going backwards. I have schools where attendance rates are sitting at 66 per cent. That is not just a statistic; that is a warning sign. That is thousands of children missing out on the most basic foundations for a meaningful life—education. Education is not optional. It is a precursor to opportunity, to employment, to dignity and to breaking cycles of disadvantage. If attendance is failing and outcomes are declining, then no amount of press releases about funding can mask the truth that the system is not working for regional Australians.

What I want to see from this government is not more announcements but accountability. Show us the outcomes. Show us the improvement. Show us the data that proves lives are actually getting better. If we continue down this path, where success is measured in how much is spent rather than what is achieved, we will not only fail these communities but entrench their disadvantage even further. And, in doing so, we will make our economy less productive and place even more pressure on Australians already struggling with the cost-of-living crisis.

Labor talks a big game on education, but the reality on the ground is different. Regions are being left behind. Have any of those opposite been to these remote or regional communities—Bute, Kadina, Port Augusta, Koonibba, Coober Pedy?

Costs are rising fast. In regional South Australia, the cost of an independent education has hit an average of $242,000. Even a 'free' government school in regional SA now costs parents over $95,000 across the child's schooling life when you add up uniforms, camps, transport and associated costs. These numbers, of course, consider 13 years of education, but, even divided per year, it is significant, especially when you consider these are not elite schools. These are not boarding schools. When energy prices skyrocket—when electricity is up 40 per cent and gas is up 42 per cent—these school have no choice but to ask families to pay more. They are paying for Labor's inflation.

It's not just schools. Child care is struggling. In the electorate of Grey, again, we have the worst access to child care in Australia. There are 23 council areas in my electorate with almost no services. This causes parents to leave the workforce and make our local staff shortages even worse. Today, you need two incomes to raise a family, and, if there's no child care in your local community, it puts pressure on your local businesses. Recent data shows that in September 2025 over 3,600 childcare services were charging above the fee cap, which is almost double what we saw in 2022. This is not the fault of our local providers. It is the result of Labor's economic mismanagement.

After four years, this government owns the economy, but we have the highest inflation in the developed world. It's being driven by decisions made here in Canberra. Government spending is at a 40-year high. This keeps inflation high, which keeps interest rates high. Regional families cannot afford another four years of Labor. We need a government that understands that 'tyranny of distance' isn't just a phrase; it's a line item in a family budget that is currently in the red.

The coalition is focused on the basics: cutting red tape, beating inflation and getting energy prices down. We need support for our regional schools and students. (Time expired)

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