Page 2212 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 4 June 2013
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MADAM SPEAKER: So you are assuring me, Mr Barr, that this is part of the national education reform agreement?
Mr Barr: National education—
MADAM SPEAKER: Okay. On the basis of that assurance, I call the Chief Minister.
MS GALLAGHER: Madam Speaker, I want to be clear and not mislead the Assembly. It was part of the announcement of the agreement reached between the ACT government and the commonwealth. It does not specifically form a part of the agreement that we signed, but it was part of the announcement we made.
MADAM SPEAKER: In that case I am ruling it out of order because the initial question was about the national education reform. A supplementary question, Mr Hanson.
Members interjecting—
MADAM SPEAKER: Order! Mr Hanson has the floor. I need to be able to hear him.
MR HANSON: Chief Minister, over the next four years will Gonski provide more or less federal funding than was planned under the existing national partnership agreement funding to the ACT?
MS GALLAGHER: Those agreements were due to expire.
Mr Hanson interjecting—
MS GALLAGHER: They were, Mr Hanson. It is not a revelation; I have said that a number of times in this place. Those agreements were due to expire because of the cuts to particularly the New South Wales and Victorian governments’ education budgets. The indexation arrangements from the commonwealth, which picks up a majority of indexation applied to state government schools, had changed. The advice to me was that this provides funding certainty and increased funding.
Mr Hanson: It’s a funding cut.
MS GALLAGHER: It is not a funding cut, Mr Hanson. You do not understand it. No child will be worse off; no school will be worse off. I have got—
Mr Smyth interjecting—
MADAM SPEAKER: Order, Mr Smyth!
MS GALLAGHER: In fact, I have got letters from the independent school association asking that—
Mr Smyth interjecting—
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