Senator NASH (New South Wales—Deputy Leader of The Nationals in the Senate) (16:14): So yet another policy mess and policy shambles from the Labor government! It is a bit like Alvin and the Chipmunks as the hits just keep on coming. Every time we turn around there is another policy disaster from this government. We all want better outcomes for students, we all support better state schools and we all support better independent schools. In a better world we would all like to see funding increased for schools right across the board. But the world under this Labor government is not in that perfect place. Gonski is a mess. It is an absolute mess. When you start looking at why it becomes absolutely crystal clear that this government has absolutely no idea. There is absolutely no detail about how this is going to work, how this is going to be implemented and where the modelling is. We are completely in the dark. My very good colleague Senator Mason was far too modest to actually quote himself when he was discussing the questioning that he had been doing in the previous Senate estimates. I am not so modest, because it is very important that we have this on the record. Senator Mason was asking the committee what the financial impact would be of the new modelling on Australian schools—a very sensible question. We then get an interchange between him and Ms Paul, the secretary: Ms Paul: We do not really have any results to offer at this point— and this is at the end of May, so this is a few weeks ago— But if you want me to take it on notice and keep you posted on it, I am happy to do so. Senator MASON: The department is not able to tell the committee what the financial impact of the proposed— Ms Paul: That is right—not at this point. That is because of the work that is still underway, which was recognised by Gonski as being unfinished work, as it were. Senator MASON: We should not labour the point, as it were, but that is where the rubber will hit the road, I think it is fair to say. Ms Paul: Absolutely. I agree with you there. Senator MASON: I was going to ask you to provide a breakdown of the financial impact under the proposed new modelling for all Australian schools,— a very intelligent question— but you have not done that. Are you going to do that? It gets better: Ms Paul: In due course, I suppose. This is just a part of an excerpt of the answers to the very good questions that Senator Mason was asking. Just a few weeks ago that is all the detail that the coalition was able to get, and it goes on in much the same vein and it is certainly in Hansard for anyone to see. That is all we could get in terms of the detail of the modelling and how this is going to work. A $6.5 billion—well, who knows?—a year program and not a single scrap of detail from the government on how it is going to work! And how is the government going to pay for it? This is $6.5 billion a year we are expecting. How much are the feds going to pay? How much are they going to expect the states to pay? I expect that the government or the Prime Minister will say: 'This is wonderful. We're going to implement it now, states. Would you mind coughing up most of the money?' They will say, 'I haven't got it.' Look at New South Wales: they are floundering after 16 years of Labor in New South Wales and they are struggling with that legacy of debt that the Labor government left them. Where are they going to come up with the money from? Senator Mason: Queensland's bankrupt. Senator NASH: Thank you, Senator Mason. We have got a federal government with a debt of $241 billion and a record in waste that is second to none. Perhaps if they had not wasted so much money, Senator Mason, they might be able to free up a little bit of money to put to something like education reforms. We have seen the Home Insulation Program with the pink batts with $2.5 billion mismanaged. We have seen greens loans and Green Start, with the $175 million Green Loans Program mismanaged and eventually dumped. There was the Solar Homes Program with a $850 million blow-out. The list goes on and on and on. So it is no wonder there is no money being talked about. It is no wonder the government is not saying, 'By the way here we have got the money to do this. It's no problem at all with.' We have no idea who is going to pay for it. What is it going to do to the Treasurer's $1.5 billion wafer-thin surplus? How is it going to impact on the surplus? Schools have absolutely no certainty—none—and it is about time this government got its act together and started giving this country some decent policy. We saw the Prime Minister say this yesterday, telling the Independent Schools National Forum: Every independent school in Australia will see their funding increase under our plan. Thank you very much but I am not going to believe anything this Prime Minister has to say anymore. I would be far more likely to believe in fairies at the bottom of the garden and I would probably have more respect for fairies at the bottom of the garden. Senator Mason, you would well know that the PM's track record on promises is not actually that crash hot, so why should we believe the Prime Minister when she says: Every independent school in Australia will see their funding increase under our plan. This is a Prime Minister who said she had no plans to challenge Kevin Rudd, none at all. In May 2010 the Prime Minister was quipping to the media: There's more chance of me becoming the full-forward for the Dogs than there is of any change in the Labor Party … Well, that is history for you, isn't it? Then of course there was the one that everybody knows and understands very well: There will be no carbon tax under the government I lead. What do we have now? We have a carbon tax. So tell me, Senator Mason, what do you think? Do you think there is any chance of there being truth in this statement: Every independent school in Australia will see their funding increase under our plan. Senator Mason: No, I don't. Senator NASH: I don't think anybody in this nation believes what the Prime Minister says. The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Nash, could I suggest that you do direct your comments to the chair and not directly to Senator Mason. Senator NASH: He is such an excellent recipient of my comments though, Mr Deputy President. Who would believe anything that the Prime Minister has to say anymore—the Australian people do not. They do not believe what the Prime Minister says. I hope she is right, I hope she is correct and I hope all the schools have a funding increase but we have absolutely no idea— Senator Thorp: You're right about that! Senator NASH: and we have no expectation that the government could deliver any of this. Thank you, Senator, I will take that interjection. We have no idea what the government has in store for us. We have no idea expectation that the government can even deliver this even if they turn it into some coherent policy, which it clearly is not at the moment. We only have to look at the track record of policy disasters: computers in school, the NBN, border protection, Fuelwatch, GROCERYchoice, the live export mess and the list goes on and on and on. So why would anybody have any faith or any trust that they could deliver Gonski even if they could turn it into some coherent policy—which sadly I expect they will not be able to do. The leaked modelling on the weekend—isn't it interesting? We are told, Senator Mason, that there is no modelling, there is nothing in any form we can give you, there is nothing we can see. But, funnily enough, things just turn up, don't they? Senator Jacinta Collins interjecting— Senator NASH: What Senator Mason said earlier is absolutely right: these schools are going to be worse off. What really aggravates me and disappoints me is it is schools like this: Dubbo School, Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School, Bonalbo Central, Nimbin Central, Broken Hill North, Lismore Public School, Cootamundra Public School, Canowindra High School, Tullamore Central School—regional public schools. We on this side of the chamber are not going to sit here and let this government do anything in any way, shape or form that is going to undermine regional schools, undermine any of these schools, because we on this side of the chamber, we in the coalition, believe in a better future for Australian students and we are the ones that will be able to provide that for them.