STING IN THE TAIL FOR QUEENSLAND KIDS IN HOCKEY BUDGET
Published Thursday, 14 May, 2015 at 04:15 PM
JOINT STATEMENT
Minister for Education and Minister for Tourism, Major Events, Small Business and the Commonwealth Games
The Honourable Kate Jones
Treasurer, Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations and Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships
The Honourable Curtis Pitt
An historic education policy shift in Joe Hockey’s second horror budget will leave Queensland students worse off.
Minister for Education Kate Jones said the Abbott Government’s plan to rip $6 billion from Queensland classrooms – would take a heavy toll on students.
“Successive Labor governments have funded education above CPI to reflect its true cost, but now Joe Hockey and Christopher Pyne are trying to claw-back vital funds by reducing the indexation rate,” Ms Jones said.
“For the first time in 20 years education funding will be indexed in line with CPI, which is below the Education Sub-Index.
“This represents a reduction in the real dollar value of education funding.
“It means that funding will be stretched and students could miss out on the best possible education.
“That’s something I’ll always fight against while I’m the Education Minister and Labor is in government.
“These savage cuts are yet another cost-shifting exercise and confirmation that the Abbott Government is turning its back on education.”
Queensland Treasurer Curtis Pitt said the LNP’s latest cuts defied logic.
“On Tuesday Lawrence Springborg looked into his crystal ball and promised that Queensland would get a greater share of education funding,” he said.
“Well you can throw that crystal ball out the window, along with a quality education in Queensland as long as Abbott and Hockey continue attacking our students and teachers.
“It’s time the Queensland LNP stopped standing by their mates in Canberra and started standing by this great state.
“The Newman Government threw away vital education funding when it refused to sign up to the Gonski reforms to give Queensland’s neediest schools additional funding.
“And now that they’re in opposition, the LNP is still letting our kids down.
“We believe every child, regardless of their background, should have access to world-class education - which is why we’re employing an additional 2,500 teachers.”
Education Minister’s Office: 0417 405 879
Treasurer’s Office: 0419 945 546