Jason Wood (La Trobe, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Minister for Education, Science and Training. Would the minister provide the House with an update on the Investing in Our Schools Program? How have schools around the country, particularly in my electorate of La Trobe, benefited?

Sharon Bird (Cunningham, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Ms Bird interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Cunningham!

Sharon Bird (Cunningham, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Ms Bird interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Cunningham is warned.

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women's Issues) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for La Trobe for his question and acknowledge his support for schools in his electorate. The Investing in Our Schools Program is providing $1 billion in extra funding for schools across our nation for much needed infrastructure and educational tools. This $1 billion, $700 million of it for state government schools, is in addition to the record levels of funding that this government has provided for schools across the nation. In fact, in the case of state government schools, the federal government have increased funding by 118 per cent since we came to office, even though enrolments have only increased by just over one per cent. But members will recall that, when we came to office in 1996, we inherited a $96 billion debt from Labor. I understand from the Treasurer that we used to have to find $9 billion each year just to pay the interest on Labor’s debt. Now that that debt has been paid off—we have paid off Labor’s debt—we are in a position to invest more money in our schools.

There has been huge demand for this program across Australia. Fifteen thousand projects have now been funded, and that means that over 6,000 government schools have received funding under the program. About $650 million has been provided to date to government schools, and that represents 90 per cent of government schools—so almost 90 per cent of all government schools in Australia have benefited under the Investing in Our Schools Program.

The member for La Trobe asked about his electorate. I know he will be delighted to learn that over 100 projects have been funded in his electorate—that is 40 government schools—and we have invested some $4.6 million in his electorate. I know members on both sides have similar stories, because this program has assisted almost 90 per cent of government schools.

Last week, the Prime Minister announced an extension to this program. On top of the $1 billion, we have announced a further $181 million in funding for the Investing in Our Schools Program—$127 million will be allocated to government schools.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The minister has the call. The minister will be heard.

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women's Issues) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Speaker. This means that schools that have not yet been successful or have only received a small amount of funding can now apply for the opportunity to receive up to $100,000 in funding.

I do acknowledge the support of the Leader of the Opposition for this program. He said it was a very practical and useful program. But this does beg the question: why is it that the state governments are not investing in their schools? This program has highlighted the chronic neglect of state government schools, and the funding has gone to fix some very basic items in government schools. When the Leader of the Opposition has his meetings with state premiers, perhaps he could ask them to match the federal government’s rate of increase in government schools. In the 2006 budget, while the Australian government increased funding for government schools by 11 per cent, the state governments only increased it by four per cent. Had the states matched the federal rate of funding, there would have been an extra $1.4 billion in 2006 for government schools. I call on the Leader of the Opposition to join the government in asking state governments to properly invest in their schools, as we are doing.