House debates Questions without Notice
Education Funding
Bill Shorten Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
2:01 pm
My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister please explain whether or not he supports David Gonski's recommendations for needs based funding for all Australian schools?
Malcolm Turnbull Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
I thank the honourable member for his question. I can remind the honourable member that the coalition government has committed record levels of funding: $69.5 billion over the forward estimates. This includes a record of $5 billion in funding for students with a disability. We have increased funding by $4.1 billion from 2014-15, which is a 27.9 per cent increase. That includes a funding increase to government schools of 36.1 per cent or an increase of $1.9 billion and a funding increase to non-government schools of 23.4 per cent, an increase of $2.2 billion. We have reinstated—
Mr Pyne interjecting—
Ms Kate Ellis interjecting—
Tony Smith Speaker
The Leader of the House will cease interjecting. The member for Adelaide will cease interjecting.
Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance
Mr Speaker, on a point of order: it is impossible for the Prime Minister to be directly relevant to this question without referring to David Gonski's recommendations. It is impossible.
Mr Pyne interjecting—
Tony Smith Speaker
The Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat. The Leader of the House will cease interjecting. The Prime Minister is being relevant to the answer.
Malcolm Turnbull Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
We have reinstated $1.2 billion in funding—removed by the former Labor government—for Queensland, Western Australian and Northern Territory government schools. The funding schools are receiving now will be available in the future. Funding is rising. There are no plans for it to go backwards, despite the scare campaign from Labor that schools will lose money compared to where they are today.
Ms Macklin interjecting—
Malcolm Turnbull Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
The Leader of the Opposition and the member for Adelaide were out, this morning, trying to scare schools with their dishonest campaign. The member for Adelaide said: 'Principals, right now, are grappling with whether or not they can start new programs and whether they can employ more staff.'
Mr Perrett interjecting—
Malcolm Turnbull Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
That is simply not true. School funding will continue to grow, and schools can make those decisions with confidence. As the Minister for Finance acknowledged this morning, in the lead-up to the 2013 election, Labor—quite dishonestly—
Ms Plibersek interjecting—
Malcolm Turnbull Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
tried to lock in spending by putting it in the out-years on an unaffordable, unsustainable and unfunded spending-growth trajectory. I can assure parents, teachers, principals that schools funding will remain in place, as was our promise. It will continue to grow beyond 2017—
Ms Plibersek interjecting —
Malcolm Turnbull Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
and we have committed and delivered more funding for schools—not less—than those opposite. Let me just remind honourable members opposite of the South Australian Premier's observation: 'We have not seen any coherent or sustainable way in which the Labor opposition's school funding proposal is going to be funded.'
Honourable members interjecting—
Tony Smith Speaker
I asked the member for Sydney to cease interjecting on, at least, three occasions during that answer. In the event that she could not hear me, I want to make it very clear. I also asked the member for Chifley to cease interjecting between these questions. I am warning both of them now so that there is absolutely no doubt. I do not need any assistance from the Leader of the House.
Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance
Mr Speaker, on a point of order: I ask the Prime Minister to table Tony Abbott's speaking notes that he was reading from.
Tony Smith Speaker
There is no point of order. The Manager of Opposition Business will not raise frivolous points of order.