Kate Ellis (Adelaide, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to the coalition's election promise made on 29 August:

Our policy starts with a clear commitment to all Australian schools: your funding is certain.

What guarantee can the Prime Minister give that under his plan no school will be worse off as a result of actions by the Commonwealth or state governments?

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Before I call the honourable Prime Minister I must say that that question is getting very close to one that has already been fully answered. However, the last words that were added asking that the Prime Minister answer on behalf of state governments is new to the question, so I will give the call to the honourable Prime Minister.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

New to the question and, I suspect, outside the standing orders. As I have made absolutely crystal clear, the $1.2 billion that the Leader of the Opposition ripped out of school funding just prior to the election is being fully restored by the coalition, because the difference between us and members opposite is that under us there is a system which is national and fair—national, fair and that we will fully fund to the tune of $2.8 billion. That commitment we will fully fund, unlike the Leader of the Opposition.