Summary

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The No votes succeeded in rejecting amendments proposed by Greens Senator Wright. This vote means that the amendments will not be included in the legislation.

Someone who votes aye for this amendment supports these measures. The majority voted no for this amendment so it was unsuccessful.

Summary of amendments

Two amendments were proposed. The first proposes that schools apply with anti-discrimination laws. The second includes such proposals as schools reporting about their financial assistance.

Background to Bill

This Bill was developed in response to the Review of Funding for Schooling, commissioned by David Gonski (known as the 'Gonski Review'). The Report explored the issue of the decline of performance in Australian school children over the past 10 years and the gap between the highest and lowest performing students. The Report found that the current funding model for Australian schools was unnecessarily complex and proposed a new funding system. As an alternative, a new funding model was proposed. This included a base 'per student' fee that is to be set for a student at any school. Additional loadings would be paid for disadvantage such as disability, low socioencomic background, school size, remoteness, number of Aboriginal students and lack of English proficiency.

In response the Gillard government developed the National Plan for School Improvement. This Bill gives the Commonwealth greater involvement in public and private schools. The NPSI supports the main idea of the funding model established in the Gonski review. There are some differences in the recommendations in the Gonski review and the Australian Education Bill.

The Bill was criticised by the Coalition, the Greens and the Independents Rob Oakshott and Tony Windsor for being rhetoric but with little substantive policy. The Bill does not establish specific provisions regarding funding arrangements. Western Australia, Northern Territory and Queensland have not signed up to the NPSI.

More information about the Bill and the context surrounding it can be found here here.

Votes Not passed by a large majority

Nobody rebelled against their party.

Party Votes
Australian Greens (100% turnout) 9 Yes 0 No
Richard Di Natale Victoria Yes
Sarah Hanson-Young SA Yes
Scott Ludlam WA Yes
Christine Milne Tasmania Yes
Lee Rhiannon NSW Yes
Rachel Siewert WA Yes
Larissa Waters Queensland Yes
Peter Whish-Wilson Tasmania Yes
Penny Wright SA Yes
Australian Labor Party (83% turnout) 0 Yes 25 No
Catryna Bilyk Tasmania No
Mark Bishop WA No
Carol Brown Tasmania No
Doug Cameron NSW No
Kim Carr Victoria No
Trish Crossin NT No
Don Farrell SA No
John Faulkner NSW No
Mark Furner Queensland No
Alex Gallacher SA No
Sue Lines WA No
Joe Ludwig Queensland No
Kate Lundy ACT No
Gavin Marshall Victoria No
Anne McEwen SA No
Jan McLucas Queensland No
Claire Moore Queensland No
Helen Polley Tasmania No
Louise Pratt WA No
Lisa Singh Tasmania No
Ursula Stephens NSW No
Glenn Sterle WA No
Matt Thistlethwaite NSW No
Lin Thorp Tasmania No
Anne Urquhart Tasmania No
Bob Carr NSW Absent
Jacinta Collins Victoria Absent
Stephen Conroy Victoria Absent
David Feeney Victoria Absent
Penny Wong SA Absent
Nigel Scullion NT Country Liberal Party Absent
John Madigan Victoria Democratic Labor Party No
Stephen Parry Tasmania Deputy President No
Nick Xenophon SA Independent No
Liberal Party (89% turnout) 0 Yes 24 No
Christopher Back WA No
Cory Bernardi SA No
Simon Birmingham SA No
Sue Boyce Queensland No
David Bushby Tasmania No
Michaelia Cash WA No
Richard Colbeck Tasmania No
Mathias Cormann WA No
Sean Edwards SA No
Alan Eggleston WA No
David Fawcett SA No
Mitch Fifield Victoria No
Bill Heffernan NSW No
Gary Humphries ACT No
David Johnston WA No
Helen Kroger Victoria No
Ian Macdonald Queensland No
Brett Mason Queensland No
Marise Payne NSW No
Michael Ronaldson Victoria No
Anne Ruston SA No
Scott Ryan Victoria No
Arthur Sinodinos NSW No
Dean Smith WA No
Eric Abetz Tasmania Absent
George Brandis Queensland Absent
Concetta Fierravanti-Wells NSW Absent
National Party (60% turnout) 0 Yes 3 No
Ron Boswell Queensland No
Bridget McKenzie Victoria No
Fiona Nash NSW No
Barnaby Joyce Queensland Absent
John Williams NSW Absent
John Hogg Queensland President No
Totals (86% turnout) 9 Yes – 56 No