Senate requires response to Gonski by March 2012
23 Mar 2011
Media release An additional requirement was successfully added to the Schools Assistance Amendment Bill (Financial Assistance) in the Senate today requiring the Government to deliver a response to the Gonski review into school funding by March 2012.
"Australian parents deserve to know exactly what the Government intends to do with school funding before the election so they can compare the policies of both major parties," Mr Pyne said.
"During the last election, under immense pressure from the Coalition and non-government school sector, the Government was forced to extend the existing school funding model until 2013 and guarantee indexation," he said.
Since that time the Labor Government has begun a campaign against the non-government school sector, re-igniting the politics of envy by publishing financial data on the My School website.
This is all part of an attempt to justify cuts to the public funding of non-government schools. Parents need to know that this will result in an increase in school fees before the next election.
Given Julia Gillard's categorical commitment to not introduce a carbon tax, which was broken a few months after the election, Labor cannot be trusted to deliver the bad news to parents of students in non-government schools that under Labor, school fees will be going up.
"I seek a commitment from Peter Garrett that he will abide by the wishes of the Senate and deliver the Government's response to the Gonski review prior to the next election," Mr Pyne said.
March 23, 2011
Media Contact:
Adam Howard
0400 414 833