Tuesday, 10 September 2024

School saving bonus

Joe McCRACKEN (Western Victoria) (18:40): (1129) Equality in Victoria – it is non-negotiable. That has been the catchcry of this government. The problem is it is so far removed from the truth. Equality in Victoria is entirely negotiable. Equality in Victoria is dependent on your identity, because this government loves to drive wedges between members of the community, develop classifications and classes and treat those classes of people in favourable or unfavourable ways. We see this in almost every facet of policy making. But when we see the victims of this rigid approach are children, surely even those in the government must feel a sense of shame.

The government’s $300 school saving bonus, which is meant to be a cost-of-living measure, is a classic example. In order to qualify, you have to go to a government school or have a healthcare card. There is no means testing. There is no test for financial hardship. There is no rigour around a socio-economic indexes for areas index. The only criteria are your attendance at a government school or a healthcare card. Why the government decides to discriminate in this way is unknown, but it is an utter disgrace. Meanwhile, those who attend an independent or a Catholic school continue to be ignored – irrelevant to this government.

Last time I checked, the cost of living hit people equally; it did not depend on what your religion is. The price of electricity does not change if you attend a Catholic school or a public school. Petrol prices are not different for attendees of Jewish schools or public schools. Grocery prices do not alter if you are Hindu, Islamic, Christian, Shinto, Buddhist or any other religion. So why wouldn’t the government’s solution, especially from a government that claims to be inclusive and progressive, also be available to everyone? Why discriminate against and exclude people based on their religion or their school choice, especially when those losing out are young children? How is this fair? How is this moral? How is this equal or progressive?

The action I seek from the Minister for Education is simple: apply the school saving bonus to every student in the state – do not discriminate. Almost 35 per cent of students in Victoria attend an independent or a Catholic school. Those opposite are turning their backs on a large chunk of that. Equality in Victoria is entirely negotiable, entirely subjective and entirely based on discrimination and division.