Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Isn't it true that, because of this Prime Minister's $22 billion of cuts to schools, only one in seven public schools will reach their Schooling Resource Standard within the next decade?

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government, under the policy announced last week, will be increasing spending on all schools by over $18 billion over the next 10 years. The Catholic systemic schools, which I was asked about a moment ago, will receive a total of $28.3 billion in recurrent funding over the next four years, and a total of $81 billion over 10 years.

For the information of members, average per student funding for the Catholic sector, by 2027, will be $12,493, while the independent sector per student funding—

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on a point of order. It is a point about relevance. I asked about government schools and the Schooling Resource Standard, and the fact that only one in seven will be there after 10 years.

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

What are the states doing?

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Sydney will resume her seat. The Leader of the House will cease interjecting. As I have said before, the Prime Minister is entitled to a preamble, but I do point out to him that the question was about public schools. He is on the policy topic but I am sure he will come to that part of the question.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The honourable member's inquiry is presumably about the federal government's funding of government schools. If that is the case, then by 2027 the Commonwealth will be funding government schools to 20 per cent of the funding standard—that is the Schooling Resource Standard—reflecting our role, as the Commonwealth, as the minority public funder of government schools.