Page 2128 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 6 June 2018
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important information about facilities. They know that there is a regulatory system that will support them, should there be any breaches of compliance under that system.
I can only hope that the federal government reconsiders the prospect of reducing resources to the national partnership on quality and reinstates what is actually a small investment from them. It is around $13 million per year, while $8 billion is spent on the childcare subsidy. This really gives some context. It is not a significant amount of money, but it is an important amount of money. The commonwealth needs to really play its part in ensuring that the rollout of this national framework is done properly, that it is resourced properly and that it is able to do the job that it was set up to deliver.
I conclude my remarks simply by thanking Mr Steel for bringing on this motion today, for recognising not only the importance of education but also the specific measures in the budget, which the Greens will be very pleased to support when it comes to the appropriation bill debate. I am certainly very pleased to support Mr Steel’s motion today. It reflects an important investment in the future of education in this city.
MR PETTERSSON (Yerrabi) (5.09): I rise today to address the issue that is fundamentally important to this side of the chamber—an issue we always have championed and always will champion as part of our core values. I speak, of course, about education. Every child deserves an amazing education, and this government is committed to delivering it. Providing quality education requires good teachers and the right infrastructure. Quality education is a fundamental right for all children; so the funding of these needs is without question. Everyone knows that if you want a government to invest in our schools you need to choose a Labor government.
We took a plan to the last election to deliver for students. We said we would provide them with the best possible facilities, and that is what we are doing—providing more schools and more school places across the north and across Canberra. The 2018-19 budget builds on the great Labor education legacy, and our government seeks to deliver even better education infrastructure and student outcomes for every student.
Our government will ensure that the 48,000 students in our territory continue to receive a great education. Over the next four years our government is spending $5 billion in supporting our education system. This budget is a continuation of the promise we made to Canberrans when they elected our government in 2016. In last year’s budget our government put aside $90 million for education infrastructure. This investment was aimed at ensuring that our schools have access to modern facilities and learning environments.
In this year’s budget our government is continuing to fund new infrastructure projects for our schools. This includes new facilities in existing schools and building new schools in our city’s growth areas, particularly in my electorate of Yerrabi. Gungahlin, the majority of my electorate, grew from 47,000 residents in 2011 to 71,000 residents in 2016. Much of this growth has been young people building homes and starting families. We are preparing for the influx of new students and prioritising their education experience. And we are prepared.
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