❓ Opposition Leader McGowan questions Premier Barnett on education funding cuts following the Abbott government's changes to the Gonski reforms. Barnett defends the federal government's approach, criticising the previous Labor government's handling of COAG and advocating for a national, policy-driven approach to education funding.
AnsweredQoN 857Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
EDUCATION — GONSKI REFORMS
857. Mr M. McGOWAN to the Premier:
I refer to the Abbott government's
broken election promise to match Labor's Gonski commitment, which would
have delivered an additional $900 million-plus of state and commonwealth money
to Western Australian schools and the Abbott government's paltry
promise yesterday of $31 million to Western Australia instead. Is it not the
case that WA local schools will be worse off in 2014 to the tune of $158 million
due to the state government's cuts as confirmed by the minister in the
other place last week?
857. Mr M. McGOWAN to the Premier:
I refer to the Abbott government's
broken election promise to match Labor's Gonski commitment, which would
have delivered an additional $900 million-plus of state and commonwealth money
to Western Australian schools and the Abbott government's paltry
promise yesterday of $31 million to Western Australia instead. Is it not the
case that WA local schools will be worse off in 2014 to the tune of $158 million
due to the state government's cuts as confirmed by the minister in the
other place last week?
AnswerView source ↗
The Leader of the Opposition needs
to realise that the Rudd–Gillard government was defeated resoundingly;
we cannot ignore that. As I understand it, the amount of money available to
Western Australian schools for 2014 from the federal government is equivalent
to the first year of what was proposed by the previous Labor government. It is
a status quo situation; the $31 million matches the first year of the final
Gillard offer. The new federal minister Christopher Pyne has said he is going
back to square one. I think that is a good idea. As I have said publicly over
the last few days, it is not rational—in fact, it is nonsensical—for
a federal government to have different funding arrangements from one state to
another. Under the Rudd government, but particularly under the Gillard
government, we saw a farcical process at the Council of Australian Governments
whereby secret meetings were held behind doors and little negotiations were done
with New South Wales or Victoria or Queensland; they were all rushing in and
trying to raise the ante. Instead of a mature —
Mr
R.H. Cook : They got extra funding.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : I think the member will find that they have not.
Mr
M. McGowan interjected.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : I will sit down again. That was instead of a mature
discussion about education funding and the policy side and how both the
commonwealth and state together could improve not only school funding but also school performance. I am optimistic that at the forthcoming
COAG meeting in a couple of weeks, the Abbot government's approach will
be along those lines. Let us look at the big picture and broad policy
directions, rather than run away to little private meetings and deals on the
side and rush out to the media to criticise the states or the commonwealth.
What happened, particularly under Julia Gillard, made the COAG process a sham.
The reality is that a rethinking of education funding is the correct thing to
do. I remind members opposite, who bleat a lot, that what has been introduced
by Hon Peter Collier for next year is the Teese proposal, which is, basically,
the Gonski proposal.
Several members interjected.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : Ha-ha! It is basically what it is, and that is the reform in
education. I am optimistic that Prime Minister Abbott will take a more mature
and policy-driven approach to COAG. When Kevin Rudd was Prime Minister, he
tried for the first couple of years, but I think Julia Gillard just hated being
there.
to realise that the Rudd–Gillard government was defeated resoundingly;
we cannot ignore that. As I understand it, the amount of money available to
Western Australian schools for 2014 from the federal government is equivalent
to the first year of what was proposed by the previous Labor government. It is
a status quo situation; the $31 million matches the first year of the final
Gillard offer. The new federal minister Christopher Pyne has said he is going
back to square one. I think that is a good idea. As I have said publicly over
the last few days, it is not rational—in fact, it is nonsensical—for
a federal government to have different funding arrangements from one state to
another. Under the Rudd government, but particularly under the Gillard
government, we saw a farcical process at the Council of Australian Governments
whereby secret meetings were held behind doors and little negotiations were done
with New South Wales or Victoria or Queensland; they were all rushing in and
trying to raise the ante. Instead of a mature —
Mr
R.H. Cook : They got extra funding.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : I think the member will find that they have not.
Mr
M. McGowan interjected.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : I will sit down again. That was instead of a mature
discussion about education funding and the policy side and how both the
commonwealth and state together could improve not only school funding but also school performance. I am optimistic that at the forthcoming
COAG meeting in a couple of weeks, the Abbot government's approach will
be along those lines. Let us look at the big picture and broad policy
directions, rather than run away to little private meetings and deals on the
side and rush out to the media to criticise the states or the commonwealth.
What happened, particularly under Julia Gillard, made the COAG process a sham.
The reality is that a rethinking of education funding is the correct thing to
do. I remind members opposite, who bleat a lot, that what has been introduced
by Hon Peter Collier for next year is the Teese proposal, which is, basically,
the Gonski proposal.
Several members interjected.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : Ha-ha! It is basically what it is, and that is the reform in
education. I am optimistic that Prime Minister Abbott will take a more mature
and policy-driven approach to COAG. When Kevin Rudd was Prime Minister, he
tried for the first couple of years, but I think Julia Gillard just hated being
there.
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