Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Aged Care) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the Turnbull government's broken promises on school funding. What is it with this government? They cannot make up their mind from one day to the next. As was said on ABC's Lateline recently, 'Between lunchtime and Lateline this government changes its agenda.' Whether it be on workplace relations, the economy, tax policy or education, all the government care about is theatrics. They are not interested in governing and they are not interested in ensuring our children get a quality education that will set them up for the future.

The Turnbull government's inaction on the economy and taxation has been alarming. Last weekend we also saw alarming inaction when it comes to education. I might add that the only plan or strategy that Prime Minister Turnbull has is for his own re-election. With the election quite literally around the corner, let me remind those on the other side about the promise that they made to the Australian people at the last election. I suggest they listen because this is a really good one.

This was a promise that we all saw plastered in polling booths around the country during the 2013 election. It was a promise that the Liberals have ignored for the past 2½ years. The promise that the Liberals made was to match Labor on education funding dollar for dollar. That was the election commitment that they gave in 2013 and the reminder they gave people as they went into the polling booths. But this was, quite frankly, a lie. At the first opportunity the Liberals cut funding for our schools by $30 billion. It was the biggest single cut to education in Australia's history.

The community may be a little confused if they had listened to the contribution by the minister in this chamber a little while ago. They no longer trust this government when it comes to education. They no longer trust this government when they are looking to the future of their children. They do not trust this government. They know the government will not fund their children's education and make sure that the levers are in place to ensure that our economy grows in the future.

Over the weekend and as recently as yesterday Mr Turnbull and his Liberals changed their tune once again. This is what we have learnt: one, the Turnbull government does not have an education policy; two, if voters vote for the Liberal Party Australian schools will receive $3.5 billion less by 2020 than if Labor is elected; and, thirdly, the Abbott-Turnbull government cut $30 billion from Australian schools. Then on Sunday they went, 'Oops,' and they promised to reverse that funding cut by $1 billion. Surely not even the learned, agile 21st century Prime Minister could not possibly think that the Australian community are going to be fooled and sucked in to believing that that $1 billion reversal is going to wipe away the other $29 billion that they took out of education.

This is an arrogant out-of-touch government that cannot help themselves. The minister had ample opportunity in this chamber a little while ago to clarify where this government is heading and to reassure the Australian community, but he failed. This government has no policy and no agenda for anything more than getting themselves re-elected, and that will be borne out. I guarantee those listening and those who are in the chamber that tonight's budget will do nothing except try to buy them enough time to get themselves re-elected. That is what this budget will be about. But the choice at the election is going to be so clear. What the government say today and what they will deliver tomorrow will be extremely different. We know that, because that has been their track record. This is not just what we are saying; it is what they have delivered over the last 2½ years.

If the Australian people are, as I believe, concerned about their kids' future, they will vote Labor at this election—because they know we will deliver. It is a historic fact that Labor always delivers to the Australian people when it comes to education. We put people first. We put kids first. What we will not do is cut education funding. (Time expired)