House debates

Monday, 10 September 2012

Statements by Members

Education Funding

1:58 pm

Photo of Deborah O'NeillDeborah O'Neill (Robertson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

Last week we saw another disgraceful revelation about the Liberal Party's contempt for our educators, our learners, our community and our future, which is built on the back of a great education system. In the very week that the Prime Minister committed our Labor government to an extra $6.5 billion to give our kids a decent education, the Liberal Premier of New South Wales called educators from the Catholic education community into his office and slashed their funding by $24.5 million. There was no notice.

Everywhere the Liberals are in government we see what the Liberals think about education. They see our kids' education as being an easy target for their ongoing cuts. They have their sights locked and loaded on education in every state: slashing TAFE in Queensland, ripping funding out of schools in Victoria and in my state taking a knife to Catholic education. I fear that is just a warm-up for even greater cuts across the entire sector. In the region I represent, the diocese of Broken Bay has 17,000 students, parents and staff across 43 schools. Their funding has been slashed without warning by $1.9 million.

Photo of Ms Anna BurkeMs Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

Order! In accordance with standing order 43 the time for members' statements has concluded.