Senator STERLE (Western Australia) (15:15): I would like to make my contribution to taking note of answers to questions put to Minister Nash today. I think it is amazing that, all of a sudden, everyone in this chamber is so interested in Western Australia. I think we should be interested in Western Australia every day, not just because there is a Senate election coming. I find it very hypocritical when I hear the nonsense coming from the Leader of the Government in the Senate, ably backed up by the chirping of non-Western Australian senators, about this 'job-destroying' tax. What a load of nonsense! I made a contribution this morning which referred to just how well the mining tax is going, but I ask the question all the time: 'If it is that bad and job destroying, what mines have shut down?' The silence is deafening; nothing has shut down. I want to share something that is very important to help people get a handle on what the Abbott government really thinks of Western Australia. On Sunday, 17 February 2013 at a Western Australian Liberal Party campaign rally, the then Leader of the Opposition, Mr Abbott, was invited to speak. He said to the madding crowd that he hoped to model his government on Premier Colin Barnett's. For those who do not know, Premier Colin Barnett is the Liberal Premier of Western Australia. He went on further to say to the madding crowd— Honourable senators interjecting— Senator STERLE: I do not know; Senator Smith could have been there throwing rose petals at his beloved leader. I have no idea, but I would not be surprised. I do not think he would like to throw petals; he would probably like to throw something else at the moment. That is only what I am assuming. Mr Abbott went on to say that he has learned a lot from Mr Barnett, describing his government as a model he hopes to repeat in Canberra. Well, well, well—here we go. If he wants to model himself on Premier Barnett's government, why don't we look at the $183 million cut from the Western Australian education budget and cut from Western Australian schools? I have some really interesting figures that I wish to share with the Senate chamber. It just so happens that I grabbed some material on the size of the cuts to schools in the federal electorate of Hasluck, which is represented in the other place by the Liberal member, Mr Ken Wyatt. Darling Range Sports College, the old Forrestfield Senior High School—I know this college very well because I am the patron. I also take kids on World War I Western Front tours and raise a lot of money. It is a darn great school in a very low socioeconomic area not overly endowed with heaps of ratepayers or with the same support from the business community enjoyed by private schools. Everyone must know, however, that, while Mr Abbott is modelling himself on Premier Barnett, that school has had cuts to this year's budget of $379,268. While I am at it, I will go to another high school in the same federal electorate—the Southern River College in Gosnells. They are losing $258,488—I am referring to everyone's interest in Western Australia, Mr Deputy President. The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Sterle, you have just raised a point, and I trust you are going to come back to the matter at hand today. Senator STERLE: I definitely am, but it would be remiss—even criminal—of me if I did not take this opportunity to finish quoting some of these figures, because everyone is so considerate of Western Australia at the moment. Everyone should be considerate of Western Australia, because everyone out there in radio land, or wherever they may be, should know that your Prime Minister is modelling himself, whether it be in health, education, telecommunications or jobs—and I will talk about the 5,000 Qantas jobs later once I have finished addressing this point—on Premier Barnett. It is very important that Western Australians understand that my old high school in Thornlie—Thornlie Senior High School—in the Hasluck electorate has had its funding slashed this year by $435,083. They are just the cuts to education. No wonder we are worried about health. No wonder we just do not trust what is coming out of that side of the chamber. I think we are right to be demanding the government tell us what is in the Commission of Audit report. As much as that side want to defend their Prime Minister, they cannot defend the Prime Minister. If you are all that concerned with Western Australia, it is imperative that the government lets the people of Western Australia know what is actually on the chopping block in health, education, jobs or whatever it may be.