Ken Ticehurst (Dobell, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Minister for Education, Science and Training. Would the minister inform the House how the government is ensuring that state government schools have the best possible facilities and resources? How is this impacting on the electorate of Dobell?

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 Dobell for his question. I can confirm that, after four rounds of the Australian government’s $1.2 billion Investing in Our Schools Program, the electorate of Dobell has received over $4 million for 38 government schools for much-needed maintenance and repair work for those schools. I congratulate him on that outcome. The single most important investment that a nation can make is in a quality education for its young people.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Albanese interjecting

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

The member for Grayndler!

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

That is why the Australian government has delivered record levels of funding to schools across Australia—

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Albanese interjecting

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

The member for Grayndler is warned!

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

particularly to state government schools, in every year since 1996. That is why the Australian government established the Investing in Our Schools Program. Now, after four rounds, virtually every state government school in Australia has received funding—almost $800 million in funding for over 6,850 government schools. That is why this government has announced that the Investing in Our Schools Program will continue.

The fact is that investment in education is important, and this government cares about the future of young people. That is why we have boosted Australian apprenticeships to over 400,000. That is why we have created over 50,000 new Commonwealth supported university places.

Lindsay Tanner (Melbourne, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Tanner interjecting

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

The member for Melbourne!

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

That means that virtually every eligible student in this country—

Lindsay Tanner (Melbourne, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Whose side are you on?

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

The member for Melbourne is warned!

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

can now access a Commonwealth supported place at university. This is what this government cares about. We want to see better maintained schools; we want to see better training opportunities; we want to make sure that eligible students can access a place at university.

I ask the Australian people to compare the legacy of the Labor Party. When Labor were in power, they left schools to run down. There was no Investing in Our Schools Program under Labor. Labor governments around the country closed technical colleges, and apprenticeships declined to record lows. In the last three years of the Labor government, 300,000 eligible young students were turned away from university because there were not enough Commonwealth supported places. This was at a time when Labor reigned over record unemployment. You could not get a job; you could not get an apprenticeship; you could not get a place at university. This government has not only cleaned up the economic mess left by Labor’s $96 billion debt; it is cleaning up the mess they left in education when they failed to support education and training opportunities to meet the skills needs of this country.