Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2025-2026

Ms COFFEY (Griffith) (17:20): In my first speech as a new member of parliament, earlier this year, I explained that I am Labor because I believe in the primacy of education and its power to transform lives. As our Minister for Education, Jason Clare, shared, 'education is the great equaliser in an unequal world'. I know this to be true because I have seen it in action.

I have seen in my career that a quality education is what gives every child the chance to thrive, no matter where they grew up. In my community—from Bulimba to Holland Park and Carina to West End—parents, teachers and young people across my electorate of Griffith tell me that education is at the heart of their hopes for the future. That's why the Albanese Labor government is continuing to build a better and fairer education system, from early childhood and schools to higher education.

We know the best start begins with early education. Early education is important because it establishes critical foundations for a child's future success, laying the groundwork for cognitive, social, emotional, physical and creative development during a period of rapid brain growth. Having been a working mum of two young boys, I know firsthand the struggle of paying for the best quality early education and care for our little people while trying to make up for lost salaries and readjust to a job and career following periods of parental leave.

In Griffith, families are benefiting from Labor's cheaper childcare policy, which is saving the average family around $7,400 a year—that's real cost-of-living relief—and, from January 2026, every child will have access to at least three days of high-quality early education under our three-day guarantee. This is about making sure that every child in Griffith, no matter their family circumstances, gets the best start.

For too long public schools were left behind. My two boys attend our small local state school. It's a place of wonder, exploration, discovery and learning.

The school is supported by a remarkable school leadership team, and my boys' learning is facilitated by some of the best, most dedicated teachers in the world. But, having sat on the school council of this small state school, I had too often seen the principal forced to choose between paying for new literacy resources for the little school library or the plumber to unlock the P-3 toilets or the contractor to complete drainage repairs or the pest exterminator to deal with the persistent rodent problem, or for essential upgrades to our outdoor safety lighting.

Our hardworking P&C parents across the country work hard, selling raffle tickets, trivia tables, second-hand uniforms and salad wraps to make up the shortfall—and we have done a very good job over so many years. As one of my handprinted corflutes during the campaign said: school mums get stuff done! I acknowledge the work and dedication of our P&C parents the country over for all that you do and the teachers and the school leaders who invest their own money in classroom resources to ensure our kids don't miss out.

It's exhausting but essential work to ensure our public schools aren't left behind due to shortfalls in funding. Labor is changing that. We're investing an additional $2.8 billion in Queensland's state schools over the next 10 years, putting every public school on the path to full and fair funding.

Griffith is home to 45 schools, and many are already seeing the benefits of our targeted investments. Through the Schools Upgrade Fund, we've delivered over $100,000 in local school infrastructure upgrades, including for Camp Hill State Infants and Primary School, Whites Hill State College and Dutton Park State School. This critical funding is helping schools improve facilities, build pride in their communities and give students the learning environments they deserve.

We're also making higher education fairer and more accessible. In Griffith, almost 32,000 people have a HECS debt, and, thanks to Labor's reforms, they will see an average cut of $6,392 each. For someone on $70,000, repayments have dropped around $1,300 a year.

We're also supporting students through the Commonwealth prac payment, so those studying teaching, nursing, midwifery and social work can afford to complete their placements. More than 20 years ago, when I was studying at university for the first time, I undertook a Bachelor of Arts and a bachelor of education degree at the University of Queensland. My intention was to graduate and become a teacher.

However, when it came time to do my final prac, it meant giving up work for six weeks, and that was not something that I could afford. I graduated with only my arts degree, and it was many years before I was able to save up, go back to university and finish my teaching qualification. Paid prac is a policy I have advocated for inside the Labor Party, and now with these changes we are able to support people studying these absolutely essential professions.

Education is the single greatest investment we can make in our children, in our economy and in our future. For Griffith, this means cheaper child care, better resourced schools, fairer student debt and paid prac placements. When we invest in education, we invest in a stronger, fairer future for Griffith and for Australia.