Newman Government must make education funding a priority

Opposition members attended the Queensland Teachers’ Union rally outside Parliament House, calling on the LNP Government to make school education funding a priority.

It is shameful that Queensland children could miss out on $3.8 billion in education funding because the Premier enjoys playing politics with Canberra. 

The Premier needed to go to COAG with an open mind about funding Queensland’s contribution to Gonski reforms.

Recently the Premier announced more than half-a-billion dollars for education programs without explaining where the money was coming from, yet he cries poor when it comes to funding his share of reforms initiated by the federal government.

In September last year Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek said the Queensland Government would be happy to fund Gonski 50-50 with the Federal Government, but in the lead-up to the COAG meeting the Newman Government claimed it could not afford to pay 35% of the funding for Gonski reforms.

The Newman Government must stop politicking on an issue as important as our children’s education.