Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Wright for the question and I am happy to have a go at the answer. I point out, though, that Senator Kim Carr represents the education minister and the portfolio, but I am happy, in representing the Prime Minister, to respond probably in more general terms. I can indicate, as the government have made very clear, that we are absolutely committed to the National Plan for School Improvement arising out of the Gonski report. We are intending to legislate and introduce legislation to support that, and we are intending to make a substantial financial commitment to respond to the Gonski report's assessment that we need to invest more heavily in our schools if we are to lift the standards and opportunity across both the public and the private systems.

We are absolutely committed to responding to the Gonski report in a way that makes a real difference for Australian students and helps us to meet the objectives laid out in the Asian century white paper, which has the ambition for us to be among the top five school systems in the world. That is because we understand absolutely the need for Australia to have a highly educated and innovative workforce. That is where Australia's future is. That can only be driven off the back of a quality education system and a system that provides opportunity for all. That is what we are doing in the school system but also in my own area of tertiary education, where we have widened access so as to give everyone a chance to participate in tertiary education if they have the commitment and skills and also to make sure that we are increasingly graduating more people who can contribute to that highly skilled and innovative workforce. (Time expired)