Clare O'Neil (Hotham, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, this year's budget locked in $30 billion of cuts to schools. That is the equivalent of sacking one in seven teachers at Narre Warren North Primary School in the electorate of La Trobe. Given the Prime Minister's own green paper contemplates completely vacating the field of the Federation funding schools, aren't these cuts just another part of the Prime Minister's plan to make parents with kids at Narre Warren North Primary School pay a new school tax?

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is terribly sad for the opposition that they have been reduced to this level where they have to make up questions and assertions rather than deal with the issues. But the question does give me the opportunity to range widely over the subject of school funding and trust, which is extremely important. This government went to the election with a promise to match funding, dollar for dollar, for the new school funding model. We delivered it 100 per cent. In fact, we restored the $1.2 billion of cuts visited by the Leader of the Opposition on the school education system in the Pre-Election Economic and Fiscal Outlook. We delivered that, and we will continue to increase funding in the next four years by eight per cent, eight per cent, six per cent and four per cent.

The member's question might have some resonance if only the opposition leader had committed to the apparent $30 billion in extra spending beyond the forward estimates.

Ms O'Neil interjecting—

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

The member has asked her question and will desist.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

But even today, at his doorstop in the Mural Hall, he was asked several times by journalists whether they would restore these so-called funding cuts. He said, 'In terms of what we want to do, we'll unveil our policies.' 'But will Labor bring them back to life?' 'Let us be very clear: we would take a policy to the next election.' How fantastic! That is what oppositions usually do. We had about 108, if I remember rightly, at the last federal election. But that is hardly the cast-iron guarantee that the unions and the schools sector are looking for.

But it does allow me to talk about tonight's episode of The Killing Season. There has been a preview in The Canberra Times and, from what it is looking like, tonight's episode of The Killing Season will look more like the red wedding episode from the Game of Thrones. Here he is: Walder Frey and Joffrey.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I raise a point of order.

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

The minister will resume his seat.

Mr Albanese interjecting—

And I don't need any assistance from the member for Grayndler in who will sit down.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister has just indicated in his own preamble that he was about to become completely out of order—

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

The member will resume his seat. It is a very wide ranging question, and the minister has the call.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It was a wide-ranging question about who you could trust to deliver school funding. And the issue of trust is a very broad one. What I understand about tonight's episode of The Killing Season, which looks more like the red wedding episode from Game of Thrones, is in fact we will discover tonight that Walder Frey over here had already made a deal with Kevin Rudd on 19 June and had already told Julia Gillard on 17 June that he would change his allegiance. But on 21 June he told Neil Mitchell three times that he had done no such thing and that he was still 100 per cent behind Julia Gillard.

Honourable members interjecting—

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

There will be silence on my right. The member for Grayndler on a point of order?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I raise a point of order. This was a question about education and schools—

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

We have already had a point of order on relevance. The member will resume his seat. The minister has the call.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

He is the king slayer of Australian politics. He got rid of two prime ministers. The Treasurer was at the scene of the crime when Neil Mitchell asked him three times, and three times he lied to the Australian public.