Craig Kelly (Hughes, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today I would like to talk about the origins of what is colloquially known as 'the big lie'. What I refer to is Labor's claim that there are cuts to school funding. Labor's cunning plan on this goes back to the May 2013 budget. Part of Labor's cunning plan was to announce an increase in schooling funding of $9.8 billion. They backed this with the I Give a Gonski advertising campaign, a multimillion campaign with billboards around the nation, T-shirts, hats, badges—a great range of advertising paraphernalia. But of that $9.8 billion, only $2.8 billion was actually in the four-year forward estimate period. That was around $700 million a year. The other $7 billion out of the $9.8 billion was backloaded into years 5 and 6. Of course, in years 5 and 6 you do not have to show where the money comes from.

I have asked members of the teachers union: if the I Give a Gonski program is so good, why does the funding multiply five times in years 5 and 6? They looked at me, dumbfounded. We know the reason why. It is because Labor did not have to show where the money was coming from. It was a complete and utter hoodwink of the public. Some may not take my word for it, but they only have to go to the ABCs Fact Check. I think everyone would agree that ABC Fact Check gives an independent opinion on Labor's claim. They gave a verdict on Labor's claim that there are $22 billion in cuts to education. ABC Fact Check's verdict is:

Ms Plibersek's claim is misleading: the Government is not cutting $22 billion from schools.

Yet we have Labor member after Labor member stand up in the House of Representatives and repeating that complete and utter untruth.

What is objectionable about this is that we understand that Labor likes to tell many untruths. We have seen the Medicare scare campaign, where Labor members walked around claiming the coalition is going to sell Medicare. When they came in after the election did they apologise for misleading the public? Did they say, 'We are sorry we tricked you,'? No. They wore it like a badge of honour. It was a badge of honour to Labor members that they deceived the public at the election. They are doing it again.

It is one thing to scare old pensioners about Medicare, but what is really shameful is to scare schoolkids that their school is having funding cut. Labor member after Labor member stands up in the House of Representatives and says, 'The school is having its funding cut,' misleading school kids and their parents so the kids hear only part of the news. They go to school and they think, 'Our school is having their funding cut. Will our school be closed down?' It is just an utter untruth. Schools are having their funding increased. Already, under this government, we are providing 34 per cent more than was provided in the glory years of the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd years. Next year, there will be more money over and above inflation. The Catholic schools will be getting more money. They point to the Catholic schools in New South Wales. They will be getting 3.8 per cent more.

Milton Dick (Oxley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Why are they so unhappy?

Craig Kelly (Hughes, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Why are they are unhappy? I will tell you why they are unhappy. It is because members like you, sir, that mislead the House. That is the reason why. To walk into the parliament and to say that schools are having their funding cut is an absolute disgrace and you should retract that.

Mark Coulton (Parkes, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Hughes will address his remarks through the chair and not directly refer to other members.

Craig Kelly (Hughes, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It does upset me when I hear members of the Labor Party who stand up in parliament and say that they are having funding cut from schools, when that is simply and utterly an untruth, because it upsets the kids unnecessarily. It scares them and I call members of the Labor Party to desist in this big lie. (Time expired)