CHRISTINE MILNE: We can’t allow the next seven weeks to just be a discussion of Tony Abbott’s agenda, which is to try to drive further instability and to try to further undermine confidence in business around Australia. We have to make the next seven weeks a focus on bringing the money forward in the budget to support more money into public education around Australia.

What I want to see is the Government bring in on budget day the money in the budget to support the Gonski reforms, to put the funding schedule into the legislation, so that we can get it through before June, and that means it will not be an at-risk proposition for the election, and we will then be able to stare down an Abbott government if that’s what ensues, to make sure that they don’t repeal a fair funding model for Australia’s schools, for our students, for our teachers, for our communities. If ever there was something we needed to grow in Australia, it’s innovation, jobs, higher standards of education and the only way we’re going to do that is make sure every Australian child has the same level of opportunity. That’s what the Greens are about: making sure we get equal opportunity, and I want to call on the Prime Minister to bring in those Gonski reforms on budget day, have the money in the budget, have the funding schedule, sort it out with the states. Let’s as a nation focus in the next seven weeks on sorting it out with the state governments, making sure that the financial agreements are entered into, and we get this actually legislated before an election.

That is something that would really get the nation interested, it is a nation building project, let’s not allow this focus to be on Tony Abbot trying to drive an early election, let it rather be on what is Tony Abbott’s funding formula for education. He has already said that he will oppose Gonski, that they do not support a fair funding model, so what is their funding model? What would they do? He talks a lot about partnerships, about consultation, well come on Tony, tell us. What is your funding model for education? Where is your commitment to a better deal for Australia students?

So that’s my call on the Prime Minister – let’s just put this behind, let’s get on, let’s make education the focus of this year’s budget and let’s get it done before we go to the election.

JOURNALIST: Labor’s front bench is imploding this morning, what do you say about the resignations that have been happening?

CHRISTINE MILNE: Well Labor’s ministers are going to have to sort out their own future and the Prime Minister will have to sort out her front bench. The clear focus is to get on with doing the things that people want to see happen before the election. There are so many things that we need to roll out, but I really think if we can get our focus on Gonski, if we can make sure we can get that funding into our schools, so that teachers and students and communities and parents aren’t left wondering whether this could ever have been achieved. Labor has been in government since 2007, they have known about unequal funding in all that time. Now is the opportunity to get it done and get a fair funding model for our schools.

JOURNALIST: Chris Bowen resigned, is that the type of thing that will bring the stability that will enable Labor to focus on those sorts of issues?

CHRISTINE MILNE: Very difficult to say what the result of a whole lot of resignations from ministers will be. Obviously, as other ministers have said the Prime Minister needs people in her cabinet who are going to support her. From the Greens’ point of view, we need to have the Labor party get their house in order so that we can deliver the progressive reforms, so that we can make sure that we get funding into our schools. The Greens are ready to stand up to the big miners in order to raise the money to put into Gonski in the budget. We’re ready to do that. We’re ready to stand up to the media moguls, we’re ready to stand up to Tony Abbott, and that is why I think people around the country are going to say, while the others are trying to sort out the mess they’ve gotten themselves into, the Greens are very focused on getting policy outcomes, especially in funding schools before the next election.
Christine Milne Australian Greens Leader Friday 22 March 2012