Marielle Smith (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

In recent weeks, we've had tremendous news in my home state of South Australia, with the South Australian government signing up to the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement, which means that, after a decade of neglect in public education funding in my state, South Australian public schools will be fully and fairly funded. It will give South Australia public schools an extra $1 billion of investment over the next 10 years, representing the biggest investment in South Australian public schools by the Australian government ever.

It's not a blank cheque, of course. It's tied to our year 1 numeracy and phonics check. It's tied to greater access to mental health professionals for students. It's tied to access to high-quality and evidence based professional learning for our teachers and initiatives to attract and retain teachers in public schools.

At a practical level, for children in my state, this means more support in the classroom when they're struggling—more support when they need it most. For our teachers it will mean more support for them in the life-changing work that they do each and every single day for students in our public schools.

This is a reform we are delivering hand in hand, in partnership, with the Malinauskas Labor government—two Labor governments working hand in hand to deliver on our shared mission of fairness and opportunity, which we know starts with a great education. This funding deal will mean that in South Australian public schools full funding can provide that great education for kids in my state. In contrast, when Peter Dutton published a list of his 12 priorities for government, do you think it rated a mention? It didn't even rate a mention. They tore up Gonski and they were too focused on culture wars in education to fund schools. We're turning it around. This is a tremendous outcome for my state.