Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources) Share this | Hansard source

I too stand today to speak on the motion moved by Senator Urquhart in relation to school funding.

Whilst we are talking about schools, can I take this opportunity to put on the record my deep sympathies for the absolute tragedy that happened in Florida while we were sleeping overnight. Seventeen young people lost their lives in a school shooting. I know anybody and everybody in this place who has children will understand the trauma and fear that that strikes to our very hearts when we hear those terrible, terrible stories. Seeing those young children on the television this afternoon, as a mother of a 15-year-old, I can only say it makes me absolutely sick to the stomach that something like this could happen. I'm sure everybody in this chamber will join me in expressing our deepest sympathy and our condolences, and assure everybody who is going through the most extraordinary pain in Florida today, as we speak, that our thoughts are well and truly with them. It is a very, very sad day for the education system in the US. It is a very sad day for a lot of people. It is a very sad day for the world, that this kind of thing continues to happen.

Before us today we have a motion that is asking this place to acknowledge two particular actions. One is in relation to a supposed cut in funding to South Australian schools and to Tasmanian schools, and a call on the government to reinstate this funding. In order for us to be able to support any motion in this place, one would expect that it would have to be based in fact. There seems little point for those on this side of the chamber—or anybody in this chamber for that matter—to come into this place and support something that is factually incorrect. Senator Urquhart and her colleagues know darn well that what they've got before us is not true. They're asking us to acknowledge something that is not based in fact.

I would like to think that the coalition and others in this place would come into this chamber and acknowledge the significant contribution that the Turnbull federal government has made to improving education standards in Australia and to improving education outcomes for our young children, and also, particularly, acknowledge the fact that there has been a significant increase in investment in funding to our schools. If we want to put the facts on the record, the Commonwealth Quality Schools package will deliver recurrent total funding—a record—of $249.8 billion between now and 2027. This year, this is a year-on-year growth for all schools and all sectors. I know those opposite will probably jump in and say, 'But that's a cut on what we promised'. I heard Senator Urquhart say before that all of the promises that they have made are fully funded. I would question whether that is actually accurate, because, according to the budgetary statements and information that I've received, much of the promise that was made in relation to school funding by those opposite wasn't funded. In fact, I think they forgot to fund a couple of the states in their forward program—just minor oversights that we forget to mention when we come into this place and make a contribution.

That other point that's worth making is that the Commonwealth funding will grow faster than broader economic growth, with the total Commonwealth funding growing by approximately 77.1 per cent over the next 10 years. I don't know about you, Mr Acting Deputy President, but I reckon if I put 100 bucks in the bank today and I knew that I was going to get 77 per cent growth over the next 10 years, I would think that was a reasonably good return on my investment. We need to stress that the government spending increases are real and that they are in the budget. This is fundamentally different to the budgeting and the promises that were made by those opposite.

Whilst I absolutely refuse to accept the premise of the motion that's before us, I would say it is not just money that makes for a good education system. Just adding money does not deliver an outcome. We have seen time and again, in myriad different places, that those opposite think that, if you just throw money in and tick a box, it'll all be okay. There is a series of different things we can do in our education and there is a series of different things that Senator Birmingham, as the minister responsible for education, has managed to get legislated so that we can actually provide a much better education system—a much more targeted, child-specific, outcome-driven education system—for our young people here in Australia. For the first time, we're moving towards having greater transparency, greater fairness and greater equity because we have moved to a needs based funding model. I think that that will truly reflect what it is that is going to deliver the best possible outcome for our young people. As you and I both know, Mr Acting Deputy President, there is no greater investment that we can make as a country than the investment in the education of our young people.

Labor's so-called $17.5 billion is only about their own unfunded promises. If those opposite would like to come back in here with a factual motion that talks about the actual behaviour that's happened in the budget, I'm sure those on this side of the chamber would be keen to support the motion put forward by Senator Urquhart, but we're not going to support a motion which is factually incorrect.

I noticed Senator Urquhart went through a number of different schools in Tasmania. Obviously this particular motion has been put before this chamber as an election stunt. You'd think that's what it was, given there's an election currently in progress in Tasmania and the writs are to be issued in South Australia tomorrow night, and this particular motion applies only to education funding in Tasmania and South Australia. Before I move on to my home state of South Australia and put on the record some facts about what's really going on in South Australia, it's important that we put on the record that Commonwealth funding for all schools in Tasmania will grow and will continue to grow year-on-year from $410 million last year up to $602 million in 2027. That is an extra $192 million—I repeat: an extra $192 million—which is a 46.7 per cent increase. Over the next four years there is an average of a 4.9 per cent increase per student for all schools. I don't know which part of that one could possibly suggest was a funding cut. All Tasmanian schools are beneficiaries of the government's faster six-year transition between now and 2023 to the government's schooling resource standard, which adds an extra $22 million over that period and $71 million over the 10-year period to 2027. No Tasmanian independent schools are expected to have their funding reduced under the new funding model as they transition. The Tasmanian Catholic systemic sector receives real funding, with annual per-student growth of five per cent over that same period. So it's a little bit hard for us to take seriously the motion that's before us when the facts actually contradict what has been put forward in this motion.

I also draw to attention that in South Australia exactly the same story exists. South Australian schools are going to be receiving real funding increases, with government schools being the biggest winners. Commonwealth funding to local schools will grow strongly into the future. Unquestionably the first thing I'd suggest is that those opposite may like to avail themselves of the increased funding and better opportunities within our schools, because they might like to learn how to add up. It's very difficult to see how they can possibly suggest that an increase across the board for just about every school, in every sector and for every child can possibly be a funding cut.

But let's now talk about some of the things that are happening in South Australia. I'm really quite surprised that those opposite would want to come into this place and debate a motion about the education system in South Australia when you consider the absolute debacle that is currently unfolding and has been unfolding through 2017 in South Australia, particularly in the relation to the South Australian government's handling of TAFE SA. Over 1,000 students who had undertaken courses in our TAFE colleges were found not to have actually achieved their standards or their certifications, because the courses when audited were found to be inadequate. So that's 1,000 young people who thought they'd graduated from a course, who had paid their money, done their schooling and come out the other end of their course, only to find, because of the inadequacy of the administration of the South Australian TAFE system, that they no longer actually had those. Many of them had to go back to revisit their courses and to redo a lot of their study. This is a tremendously sad indictment of the administration of their education system in South Australia. So, as I say, I find it quite bizarre that those opposite would want to come here and start digging up issues about education in South Australia.

Consider children in custody, while we're on the subject of children. The South Australian government's track record about protecting children in custody is absolutely horrific. To think that these children, some of the most vulnerable children in our society, children who have been through tremendously traumatic circumstances, who are supposedly being put into custody, then find themselves in a situation where they're not being protected; in fact, they are just continuing to be exposed to increased levels of risk—and the South Australian government still has failed to really address the systemic problem in looking after our children.

And then you can bounce to other sectors such as our aged-care sector in South Australia. Once again, the South Australian government has a case to answer in relation to the delivery of appropriate protection of the aged in our society.

Anyway, I digress. What we're talking about here is, I suppose, probably one of the most fundamental issues that happens in this place from day to day, and that is that, if you say something often enough and you say it loud enough and enough people say it, all of a sudden the world thinks it's actually true. We need to put on the record—

Senator Gallacher interjecting—

Those opposite and you, Senator Gallacher, from my home state of South Australia, where I'm sure you're very concerned about the young people who aren't being looked after and our old people who aren't being looked after—