Education System

Ms LUETHEN (King) (14:28): My question is to the Minister for Education. Can the minister update the house on how the Marshall Liberal government is working with the commonwealth in order to deliver world-class education across South Australia?

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER (Morialta—Minister for Education) (14:28): I thank the member for King for this important question. I know that she cares passionately about education and that she supports the government's ambition to deliver world-class education for every child in South Australia at every preschool and school, in every town and suburb in our state, where we want our children to get the support to get a year's growth in their education every year, to then see them supported to fulfil their potential to be on a pathway to success.

Last night in the federal budget, it was very clear that we have a partner in that ambition in the Morrison federal Liberal government, and we are very pleased to continue working with them to that effect. It is a new approach that has been taken over the last three years, where we seek to work with the federal government rather than to fight with them all the time for media appearances. We find there is great advantage to our communities, our families and our students in working with our partners rather than constantly fighting with them, as was the approach taken previously.

There are a couple of things to particularly reflect on in relation to last night's federal budget. In the first instance, I want to congratulate the commonwealth for the increased funding to support families through an additional investment of $1.7 billion committed to child care. That is a measure that will reduce the cost of living for 250,000 families across Australia by an average of $2,200 per year. It will increase workforce participation by women and will be of benefit to tens of thousands of South Australian families.

There are 449 long day care, centre-based childcare services in South Australia that are accredited for the Australian government childcare subsidy, and families at those centres will benefit. Nineteen of those centres, particularly in the regions and rural areas, are government run, but the benefit is particularly for families, and that is very welcome.

I am really pleased that the commonwealth has committed $1.6 billion over the next four years and then ongoing—in excess of $589 million per year thereafter—to fulfil a commitment where 15 hours of preschool education in the year before a child attends school will be available to every child in Australia. That is tremendously important because there has never been that ongoing funding commitment from the commonwealth previously.

There was originally a three or four-year deal done with Julia Gillard and then the funding was to end. There have been incremental extensions year by year since then, and we have worked with the commonwealth to get an outcome that sees that funding ongoing. It is tremendously important for our workforce planning. It is tremendously important for people working in the sector.

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Of course, the Leader of the Opposition indicates that it shouldn't have been stopped in the first place. It was indeed a federal Labor government that put an end date to that funding—

The SPEAKER: The minister won't respond to interjections.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: —and then put in a situation where it wasn't ongoing funding. It is to Alan Tudge's credit, to Josh Frydenberg's credit and to Scott Morrison's credit that they are the first federal government that have ever committed to that in an ongoing fashion—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: —and I commend them for that and look forward to working with them to see that funding delivered in an ongoing fashion. The interjections from those opposite highlight one of the real concerns about the way they governed. The National School Reform Agreement was their favoured tool to argue with the government at the commonwealth level, where they constantly talked about how they refused to sign up to federal deals that weren't enough. Since signing that deal in 2019, we have seen billions of dollars extra from the commonwealth come in.

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The leader!

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: We have seen support guaranteed for students with disability so that when a student has a functional need identified—not even a diagnosis, but a functional need—they are supported by state and federal governments.

We discovered on coming to government that the biggest problem the former government had was that it would have required extra state funding to sign that agreement, $700 million extra that we put in that they didn't want to put in. We will continue to work with the government to deliver world-class education for all South Australian students.

The SPEAKER: Order! The time for answering the question has expired. Before I call the member for Reynell, I warn the member for Playford, I call to order the deputy leader, I call to order the Premier, I warn the leader.