PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS

Mr SOON (Banks) (18:30): Education is a strong passion of mine, and I have the privilege to be a member of the House Standing Committee on Education. This motion gives me another opportunity to talk about how transformational this government's education agenda is for our country and our young people. With this Labor government, Australians know that our schools are on the receiving end of the biggest investment by a federal government ever, making sure that every student across the public, independent and Catholic sectors get to attend a fully funded school.

The implementation of the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement will deliver $20 billion in funding over the next 10 years and an extra $50 billion in the decade after that as this government works in partnership with the states and territories. As the education minister is always keen to point out, this funding isn't 'no strings attached'. It's tied to real reforms that will improve the quality of education in this country and make sure that every student has the opportunity to reach their full potential.

In my electorate of Banks, our local schools have been benefiting from significant increases in recurrent federal government funding since Labor came into government in 2022. Many schools have seen their per-student funding grow by more than 20 per cent, including standouts such as East Hills Public School and Peakhurst Public School, which have grown by 30 per cent and 26 per cent respectively.

In total, the funding increases for schools in Banks total $16 million across government and non-government schools, and these numbers are only going to improve as we continue to implement our education agenda. The member for Berowra's motion calls for funding arrangements that support choice, affordability and fairness and provide opportunities to every student.

While I have a lot of respect for the member, I have to say the arrangement he's looking for is in fact the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement. Parents shouldn't have to feel that, in order to ensure a high-quality education for their children, they have to go to a fee-paying school and potentially take on financial hardship to do so. We give parents choice by making sure that every school has the resources they need, ensuring that they can choose the best school for their children and their families without funding levels as a consideration.

This is what this agreement delivers. I want to note that implicit in the motion the member for Berowra has moved is the suggestion that we couldn't implement a school funding plan that delivers for one set of schools without taking from another. There are many great Catholic and independent schools in my electorate of Banks.

Indeed, I was able to welcome students from De La Salle College in Revesby Heights to parliament just a few weeks ago. They were fantastic, asking intuitive and curious questions about our democracy and what we do in this building. Indeed, many of these schools are a demonstration of what is possible when schools are fully funded.

This Labor government, unlike some in this place, doesn't think that turning school funding into a zero-sum game between the government and non-government sector is something it should be doing. Nor do we believe in taking sides between different groups of parents. Instead, we are extending opportunity to every student in every classroom in every school across this country.

Importantly, we're cleaning up the mess that the Liberals left behind. Given the motion he has moved, it may be of interest to the member for Berowra that the previous Liberal government's National School Reform Agreement had virtually no academic achievement targets and no reforms to improve outcomes for disadvantaged students, Indigenous students, students from the regions and students who couldn't meet the minimum standards.

For every dollar the coalition took out of the public school system, this government is putting more than $2 back. We are fully funding our schools and making sure that every student, no matter what school they go to, has the opportunity to succeed. I don't know about you, Deputy Speaker Haines, but, for me, this rings true for making sure that we are supporting choice, affordability and fairness, and providing the opportunity for students across our country, including my electorate of Banks, to succeed and thrive.