Senator BIRMINGHAM (South Australia—Minister for Education and Training) (14:00): I thank Senator Farrell for his question, because I am confident that we will deliver fair, consistent, needs based school funding across Australia—that we will put in place the types of measures that the Labor Party commissioned. It was the Labor Party who went out and asked David Gonski and a panel to come up with a report talking about how it is we can fund all Australian schools fairly. It was the Labor Party who then received that report. But what did they do? They put in place 27 different special deals and special arrangements and so on. What the Turnbull government have been seeking to do is make sure that we take additional funding, $18.6 billion of additional funding, that we invest it across Australian schools and that we do so in a manner fair and according to need, that has received endorsement from David Gonski himself, and that in doing that we provide the additional resources and support that children in schools of need across every education system— The PRESIDENT: Order! Pause the clock. Point of order, Senator Farrell? Senator Farrell: I asked a very specific question of the minister, and he has not answered it so far. The question, if I can repeat it, is: how can his colleagues have any confidence in him? The PRESIDENT: I think the minister was trying to demonstrate how they could have confidence in him. It is a very broad question, Senator Farrell. The minister is in order. Senator BIRMINGHAM: As I was saying, there is additional resourcing for public schools of high need, additional resourcing for independent schools of high need and, yes, additional resourcing for Catholic schools—additional resourcing that will see Catholic school systems enjoy funding growth from $6.3 billion this year to $9.7 billion by 2027—a $3.4 billion increase in terms of what those schools receive—and will see their capacity to then invest that in the schools of need that they identify to ensure that those students and those schools receive the resourcing necessary so their students can excel and so they can get the excellent education that they deserve and that we are committed to ensuring they receive. The PRESIDENT: Senator Farrell, a supplementary question.