Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader for Science) Share this | Hansard source

Three separate plans inside a week, when we are getting coalition education minister after coalition education minister in Victoria and New South Wales and Labor ministers in South Australia and Tasmania saying they want to see the agreements they have struck honoured. But you are not getting that from this government. Now we have a position from Senator Abetz where he says there is no need for schools to lose money. What a rock-solid commitment that is! No need! We know the answer and the minister in New South Wales has belled the cat. The cuts will be to government schools and that is the result of the sectarian policies that the government is seeking to reintroduce into the education debate in this country. But I come back to a simple proposition: why is it that the Western Australia Premier rejected $920 million from the Commonwealth Labor government, yet he accepts a far less amount from the Liberal government under Tony Abbott? Why is it? What is the deal? What is the special arrangement? And what does it mean for the Queensland government? Similar sorts of offers have been made to them and repudiated by them. What does it mean for the Northern Territory government, with similar sets of arrangements offered by Labor, rejected by conservative premiers and chief ministers? (Time expired)