Thursday, 12 September 2024

 Matt FREGON (Ashwood) (18:17): (842) My adjournment item this evening is directed to the Deputy Premier in his role as Minister for Education, and the action I seek is for the minister to provide an update to the house on the benefits that would result from our federal government fully funding their commitment to our public schools. It has been over a decade since this country recognised the importance of the Gonski report and a needs-based funding model for education. Despite this, Victoria has been short-changed for over that decade, with successive federal governments failing to commit the 25 per cent funding allocation of our public schools. I have three children. One of them goes to an independent school, two of them go to public schools, and it boggles my mind why more of our tax dollars go to educate my daughter than my boys. It does not make any sense, and the federal government should sort themselves out. I commend the Deputy Premier on his work to try and raise this with the federal Minister for Education, and I just wish they would lift their game and come to the party for Victoria for once.