Senator DASTYARI (New South Wales) (15:06): I move: That the Senate take note of the answers given by the Attorney-General (Senator Brandis) and the Minister for Regional Development (Senator Nash) to questions without notice asked by Senators Dastyari and Gallagher today relating to schools funding and to funding for pathology and diagnostic imaging. Honourable senators: Fantastic! Senator DASTYARI: It's fantastic! Sorry, I am trying to compose myself after the hilarity of the comments coming from this side of the chamber. The answer we heard earlier from the Leader of the Government in the Senate, Senator Brandis, really defied belief. This notion that the government are trying to dress up a $29 billion cut in future education funding as some kind of achievement really defies belief and it defies logic. This is the journey the government have been on, and let's be clear: they started off by saying that they were going to be on a unity ticket with Labor when it came to Gonski funding. Then the new minister, Senator Birmingham, indicated that he would be somehow favourable to funding the Gonski model. Then, on the eve of Christmas, right at the end of the year, in the dead period, the government came out with an announcement that no Gonski funding was going to be made available. Then we had the thought bubble that came from the Prime Minister himself: 'Hey, not only should we not fund the future funding that's needed in our schools, but let's not fund schools at all. Let's just palm it off to being a state responsibility.' This is a matter which, we discovered in evidence given to a Senate committee, was not even discussed with or run past the department itself. I see Senator Birmingham leaving. His own department found out about it from the media statements or by watching it on television. Then, the weekend before the budget and a week before the calling of an election, there was this weak, measly announcement from this government that it is going to find a few extra billion dollars in the next couple of years. This is not a plan to fund schools; this is a plan to get the government through an election. This is an election strategy, not a school funding plan. Frankly, the government keeps changing its position here. Senator Bernardi: Unlike you! Senator DASTYARI: I will take your interjection in a moment, Senator Bernardi; do not worry about that. Funding matters. Funding schools matters. How you fund also matters. The Gonski proposal that has been put forward allows us to fund our schools properly. That is the proposal that was taken to the last election. That is the proposal that this government had purported to be signed up to, and now it is trying to hide behind this notion. By the way, their position has changed on this. Two weeks ago, it was, 'Money doesn't matter at all.' Now it is, 'Oh, well, we're going to make the money be spent better.' The best way to spend the money is by following the Gonski model, the proposal that was developed, and you are not going to be able to achieve that without putting the money there. You are not going to be able to achieve that without actually having that funding available. What the government have now done is cut $30 billion of future funding from our schools, and the consequences of that will be devastating. I see Senator Bernardi there shaking his head. Senator Bernardi has issues about funding schools. I appreciate that, and I understand that. It must have been a tough week for Senator Bernardi in Adelaide. There was the A-League final. His city was overrun by a bunch of halal-eating, drum-beating, Sydney-loving football fans. Senator Bernardi: And we beat them. Senator DASTYARI: He says they beat them. I will tell you, Senator Bernardi: you may have won the A-League final, but we get to go back to Sydney and you have to stay in Adelaide. I think that that speaks for itself. Senator Bernardi: Why do you hate Adelaide? The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT ( Senator Whish-Wilson ): Order! Interjections are disorderly, Senator Bernardi. Senator Bernardi: So's insulting Adelaide. The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Direct your comments through the chair, please, Senator Dastyari. Senator DASTYARI: I am not quite sure that was really in line with the question. I am not sure how to cop those comments through the chair, Mr Acting Deputy President. The school funding proposal the government has put forward is a $30 billion cut in future school funding, and that is disgraceful.