Thursday, 14 August 2025

Australian Education Union

Nick McGOWAN (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (09:55): What a fantastic day we had yesterday. It was sensational to see the Australian Education Union in this place. And I say ‘sensational’ because they are one of the very few unions at the moment – although the list is growing every day, I am proud to say, an increasing number of unions – who are prepared to call out this government. They were actually prepared to come to this Parliament yesterday and meet individually with each member of Parliament to stare them in the face and tell them what a rotten, terrible job Labor is doing. They were even prepared to tell you lot across from us on the aisle across from us, through you, President, to your face and condemn the efforts you have made – condemn the fact you have absolutely ripped $2.4 billion out of the education system.

You sit there and you lecture everyone, not just this side. You lecture the crossbenchers, and you lecture those in the community. You look down upon people, and all because you yourselves at the same time have got your hand in the till. That is right, you are taking $2.4 billion – $2.4 billion you are ripping out of the education system. So the Australian Education Union had the guts to come here yesterday and say to your faces what a disgrace you lot are, what a disgrace you have become. You have lost sight of who the workers are in this state. You have completely lost sight of what a union is. I am surprised you even recognise them – were it not for the fact they had T-shirts on, which was sensational because they are easily recognisable.

So there they were, telling you to your face, but they were prepared even to put it in writing and to take up the challenge to this government to actually make sure that they fund education, because they are not funding education properly. You are not funding facilities properly, you are not funding child care properly, you are not funding teachers properly. There is nothing you fund in the education sector that you should be proud about. It was a warning bell for you opposite, and hopefully you listen to them if to no-one else.