Michelle Rowland (Greenway, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth. Will the minister update the House on the introduction of the Australian Education Bill? How will this help make every school a great school? And is the minister aware of other policies on investing in our schools?

Peter Garrett (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Greenway for her question. I know of her abiding interest in education. The fact is that this is a truly historic day for education in our country. The introduction of the Australian Education Bill marks a turning point away from the politics of division and negativity towards the new national focus on improving education for every student in every school, irrespective of where they are living and irrespective of their means.

The Australian Education Bill, which was introduced this morning by the Prime Minister, is the next big step in this government's response to the most comprehensive review of school funding that we have had in nearly 40 years. That review—the Gonski review—said that the current funding system was broken, that too many students were being left behind, particularly students from poorer communities, Indigenous communities and students from regional areas. On this side of the House—

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, on a point of order: the shadow minister for education might want to listen to the question about the education bill. He is out of order under standing order 60.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the House is correct. People are not to stand in the aisles when question time is in progress.

Peter Garrett (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The fact is that the shadow opposition spokesman and the opposition leader chose to absent themselves from the House this morning when this bill was introduced. No more needs to be said.

We outlined, in this bill, a fairer funding model based on the needs of every student, with additional support for those students who need extra support—a new national plan for school improvement, with additional funding reforms tied to the investment itself. That is how we make sure that every student is given the opportunity for an excellent education, and it is how we make sure that every student gets the education they need for the high-skills, high-wages jobs of the future. That is how we keep our economy strong. This is a true Labor reform.

I am asked about alternative policies. Under Mr Abbott and Mr Pyne, education program after education program has been placed on the chopping block. Look at what they have said about the level of support for public schools and injustice—the argument that schools should have larger class sizes, that My School should be gutted, that one in seven teachers, or around 43,000 teachers, should be sacked, and that goals for Australia to be in the top five performing nations are 'mad'. At the end of the day, they are sticking to a broken funding system that would see Australian schools as much as $2 billion worse off over four years.

For a preview of what is on offer from the coalition, just look at look at Liberal-National coalitions in the other states: savage cuts to TAFE in Victoria, damaging cuts to youth services in Victoria, and the deepest cuts to education that we have ever seen in New South Wales. When we introduce an Australian Education Bill into the parliament we do it because, on this side of the House, we stand for making sure that every single student in Australia gets the best education they can. That is the way of the future.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I advise the Deputy Leader of the Opposition that she is going to get the call. She does not need to jump up before the individual has sat down.

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was just making sure.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I know, and I am fairly confident I am going to give you the call.