Senate debates
Monday, 20 August 2012
Questions without Notice
Education Funding
2:46 pm
Brett Mason (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Universities and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Mr President, my question is to the Minister representing the Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth, Senator Kim Carr.
John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Order! Senator Mason, you are entitled to be heard in silence.
Brett Mason (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Universities and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Given that the Cairns School of Distance Education in my home state of Queensland will, according to modelling by state government and non-government schools, lose $4.4 million, or over half of its annual funding, and 3,253 other government and non-government schools around Australia—
Government senators interjecting—
John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Order! The minister is entitled to hear the question, as I am!
Brett Mason (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Universities and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
I seek your direction, Mr President: should I start again?
Brett Mason (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Universities and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
How about: given that the Cairns School of Distance Education in my home state of Queensland will, according to modelling by state government and non-government schools, lose $4.4 million, or over half its annual funding, and 3,253 other government and non-government schools around Australia are set to lose, on average, $500,000 in funding per year under the government's new funding model, can the minister make a firm and unequivocal commitment that no school will be worse off in real terms under its funding reforms?
2:48 pm
Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
I thank Senator Mason for his question. It has been a long time. I look forward to many more questions from him. I will say that Senator Mason does actually care about this stuff. He is actually interested. That is very unusual on the other side.
Senator Mason, I would urge you not to rely upon newspaper reports about these figures because they are not the figures that the government can confirm, they are not based on government proposals; they are assumptions that are made with figures that do not bear any resemblance to the government's policy. The school should not in any way take seriously those reports because this government is not about cutting funding. As I have indicated, this is now the third opportunity I have had today to indicate this, the government's view is that no school will lose money under our plan. In fact school funding for every school—for government, for independent, for Catholic—will continue to rise under our plan for school improvements.
We have always said that no school will lose a dollar of funding per student, and that is what this government will deliver. The government has indicated, and the minister and the Prime Minister have confirmed today, that no school will lose a dollar of funding per student, and that is what we will deliver. We are about ensuring that all Australians benefit from an improved education system. As a consequence, this nation as a whole benefits from an improved education system. We want to ensure that the states and territories do their fair share as well, and we are in the business of discussing with them their funding commitments in the forthcoming period. We want to make sure that no school loses a dollar of funding, and we are outlining our plans to deliver that in the next few weeks. (Time expired)
2:50 pm
Brett Mason (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Universities and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Given that according to modelling prepared by state government and non-government schools, more than 3,000 schools—both public and private—stand to lose funding under the government's new funding model, how could the Prime Minister and the minister claim with straight faces for months and months that no school will lose a dollar? Mr President, I asked the minister this question before, but he did not answer it. Will any school be worse off in real terms—the emphasis being 'real terms'—under its funding reforms?
2:51 pm
Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Mr President, I can now repeat, I think for the fifth time, that no school will lose money under our plans, that in fact funding for every school—government, independent, Catholic—will continue to rise under our plan for school improvement. Any figures that Senator Mason is quoting from the weekend's press are figures that are not those of the government. The assumptions made in those figures do not bear any resemblance to any government policy, and schools should in no way take those—
Brett Mason (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Universities and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Mr President, I asked a very specific question.
Brett Mason (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Universities and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Mr President, I asked a very specific question—now twice. And that is whether funding will be cut—
Brett Mason (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Universities and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Yes, it is—going to relevance. I have asked directly whether in fact there will be any cuts in real terms to school funding. It was a specific and direct question.
John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
The minister is answering the question, and I will ask the minister to continue. I will listen to the minister's answer.
Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Can I indicate to Senator Mason that the statements that I have made repeatedly are that no school will lose money. That is what the minister has said; that is what the Prime Minister has said. With regard to indexation we have said that indexation will be a feature of the new school funding system.
2:52 pm
Brett Mason (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Universities and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. If, as the Prime Minister has repeatedly declared, no school will lose a dollar under the new funding arrangements, why has the government delayed the release of its response to the Gonski review from this week to a number of weeks from now? What does the government have to hide and what do Australian schools have to fear?
John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Order! When there is silence, we will proceed.
2:53 pm
Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
We have secured new funding for important programs, and we will continue this government's record—in fact, record investments—in schools and early childhood education. What we have been talking about is an expansion to $13.9 billion compared to the $8.5 billion in the last Howard government budget.
The opposition plans to cut $2.8 billion from school education—$2.8 billion. Senator Mason, this leaves you terminally exposed. You should send those sorts of questions straight back to the tactics committee, because they bear no relationship to the fact that you are going to cut $2.8 billion. And, of course, the Leader of the Opposition has made it perfectly clear he has no intention of acting on the Gonski reforms and has no intention of supporting extra money for schools and wants to cut— (Time expired)