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senate vote 2017-06-22#11

Edited by mackay staff

on 2018-03-09 15:01:52

Title

  • Bills — Australian Education Amendment Bill 2017; Third Reading
  • Australian Education Amendment Bill 2017 - Third Reading - Pass the bill

Description

  • <p class="speaker">Simon Birmingham</p>
  • <p>I move:</p>
  • <p class="italic">That this bill be now read a third time.</p>
  • The majority agreed with the [bill](http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id:legislation/billhome/r5866) in its final form, which means the bill will now go to the House of Representatives for them to decide whether they agree that it should become law.
  • In parliamentary jargon, they voted to [read the bill for a third time](http://www.peo.gov.au/learning/fact-sheets/making-a-law.html).
  • ### What does this bill do?
  • The bill was introduced to implement the Coalition Government's new school funding proposal. Unfortunately, at the time of this vote there was still no bills digest to explain exactly what the new proposal is, but there is a [very helpful and easy to understand explanation on The Conversation](http://theconversation.com/confused-about-changes-to-school-funding-heres-what-you-need-to-know-78455) by Associate Professor Misty Adoniou. As a brief summary:
  • * the proposal offers more money for schools, but less than the previous Labor Government had offered;
  • * every student will attract the same amount of funding but the amount of funding that the federal government will provide (as opposed to the state governments) is not equal between government and non-government schools (that is, the federal government will provide 80% of the funding for non-government schools but only 20% for government schools, with the states paying the difference);
  • * those in need will get more funding, but the Government still doesn't have any proposal for how this will work or even how many students will be eligible for this, which leaves a big question mark over the whole proposal.
  • ### How are schools currently funded?
  • ABC News has created a [handily jargon-free summary of how Australian schools are funded](http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-05-30/school-funding-explained-without-mentioning-gonski/8555276).
  • <p>I note that this is a historic opportunity for the parliament to now deliver, once and for all, true needs based funding for Australian schools and to do so fairly and consistently across the nation. The Turnbull government is incredibly proud to present this bill to the chamber.</p>
  • <p class="speaker">Stephen Parry</p>
  • <p>The question is that the bill be now read a third time.</p>