Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I remind the Prime Minister that her budget confirms that Labor's waste and mismanagement will cause debt to climb to over $300 billion, leaving us with an interest bill of $12 billion every year. Can the Prime Minister explain why it is her government's priority to pay interest at $35 million a day while it cuts the education spending in the budget by $4.7 billion over the next four years?

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do genuinely thank the member for Sturt for his question, which may well be—

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

A second question on education.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

the second question he has asked on education in this parliament—and doesn't that tell you everything about the attitude of the opposition. When they were in government they never did anything for Australia's children; never did one thing that has endured for the long term. When we came to government what we inherited was a system where no-one knew what was happening in Australian schools. No-one knew where the most disadvantaged schools were. No-one knew and no-one cared.

Honourable members interjecting—

Ms Anna Burke (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The Prime Minister has the call and has the right to be heard—

Ms Julie Bishop interjecting—

Order, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, I was in the middle of saying that the Prime Minister has the right to be heard in silence.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When we came to government there was not a list of the most disadvantaged schools in this country because no-one knew, no-one cared and no-one had bothered to ask. It is this government that has changed the information available on Australian schools because we wanted to know, we desperately cared and that is why we asked.

We did not keep that information to ourselves. We put it out there on the My School website for the whole nation to judge. Then we commenced a process of investing in Australian schools, the likes of which have never been seen before in Australia's history: more investments for low-SES schools, for the schools that teach the poorest children; more investments into literacy and numeracy; more investments into teacher quality; the rollout of trades training centres, new school buildings—

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise on a point of order, Madam Speaker, on relevance. I asked about the $4.7 billion of cuts in the next four years, which the Prime Minister needs to address.

Ms Anna Burke (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat. The Prime Minister has the call and will refer to the question before the chair.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

and in equipment. And now of course, there is our plan to invest more in Australian schools than has ever been invested before; a new plan for school improvement which means, compared with the broken funding model of today, a $16.2 billion difference in the contribution of the federal government.

Now to that, does the shadow minister for education have an alternative plan? No. To that, has the shadow minister ever articulated an agenda for reform and improvement of Australian schools of any weight or meaning? Never. Instead, what he has done is wander around peddling false figures including in the parliament today. And why is he peddling false figures? He knows that this government is passionately committed to improving the education of every Australian child.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise on a point of order, Madam Speaker. I would ask the Prime Minister to withdraw the phrase 'peddling false figures', when I am quoting from the budget of the federal government of the $4.7 billion of cuts.

Ms Anna Burke (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat. The Prime Minister has the call.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The shadow minister is not quoting the budget—that is the point. Why is the shadow minister out with all of these falsehoods? Well, it is part of his campaign, and the Leader of the Opposition's campaign, to put the politics first. What they do when they are not sitting in this parliament is ring up their conservative mates and say, 'Whatever you do, do not sign onto the government's plan for school education. You have got a Liberal Party ticket in your pocket: put the kids last!' That is what the Leader of the Opposition has been doing, and the shadow minister has been doing, and they should be ashamed of that conduct. (Time expired)

Mr Buchholz interjecting—

Ms Anna Burke (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Wright should read the standing orders.