ABC AM

SUBJECTS: Education Funding E&OE............................... Presenter: The Federal Opposition has confirmed that a future Coalition Government could still honour Labor’s education funding plan even if not all states and territories are on board. In April, the Opposition argued that it would only continue with the new system if it included every state and territory, but since then it’s called for an overwhelming majority. The Government is still hoping to secure agreement from the remaining four states and territories before the end of this week, but the Opposition Education Spokesman Christopher Pyne doesn’t believe that is likely. He’s been speaking to AM’s Naomi Woodley. Christopher Pyne: That still leaves Western Australia, the Northern Territory, Queensland and Victoria not part of the arrangements. The National Catholic Education Commission has grave concerns and is still discussing it with the Government and the Government doesn’t have a national school funding model anymore. It has a list of sweetheart deals and side arrangements and secret agreements, all of which make for a good chicanery on the part of Bill Shorten, but no national school funding agreement. Naomi Woodley: You’ve said that a Coalition government would honour these agreements if there was an overwhelming majority of states and territories on board. Precisely, what does that mean? Pyne: Well it means exactly what it says. Four out of eight jurisdictions is not even a majority. The Government needs to secure an overwhelming majority of states and territories in order for the Coalition to honour the agreements, otherwise there is no national agreement and the problem the Government has now created is that it essentially has six different agreements. It has agreements with four different states none of which resemble each other. It has an agreement apparently with the Catholic system – that the Catholics will have extra funds over and above what the Independents would receive and now ISCA, the Independent Schools Council of Australia claims it’s come to a separate arrangement with the Government. So the Government’s new school funding model is anything but national and the Coalition won’t abide by it unless there is a national agreement with an overwhelming majority of states and territories. Woodley: But is an overwhelming majority every state and territory or are we talking about the numbers of students, because the Government would say that two thirds of Australian students are now covered by this agreement. Pyne: Well the definition of an overwhelming majority of states and territories is more than a majority. Now clearly, four out of eight is not even a majority. An overwhelming majority doesn’t suggest all of the states and territories, but it suggests a great deal more than four jurisdictions. If the Government can get most of the other states to join, well then we will obviously keep this new measure, but they are a long way from achieving that. Woodley: Tony Abbott though has said that you will keep the existing system until you’re confident that there’s a better system to replace it and that that system is affordable, so that doesn’t quite sound like you’re on the same page. Pyne: We’re on exactly the same page. I’ve said over and over and over again that we will keep the current system in the absence of a national agreement. There isn’t a national agreement from the states and territories for this new model. It is a pea and thimble trick with money in which there is less money in the next four years and apparently rivers of gold in year five and six and a massive new federal interference in state run schools. Woodley: But if you don’t like this system which the Coalition does not, why then would you want to keep it if there is most of the states on board given that Tony Abbott is saying that you want to see a better system in place? Pyne: Well we’ve said that we won’t create any more uncertainty if they have a national agreement with an overwhelming majority of states. We’ve said that from the very beginning of the process and that has not changed. Presenter: Opposition Education Spokesman Christopher Pyne speaking to AM’s Naomi Woodley. ENDS