PM Transcripts

Transcripts from the Prime Ministers of Australia

Gillard, Julia

Period of Service: 24/06/2010 - 27/06/2013
Release Date:
15/04/2013
Release Type:
Interview
Transcript ID:
19235
Released by:
  • Gillard, Julia
Transcript of Doorstop Interview

Canberra

PM: Congratulations to Adam Scott. By any measure this is an historic day for Australian sport. All Australians will be marvelling in his achievement and thinking of him.

Adam, Australia is incredibly proud of you.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, just going to ask on Gonski - Queensland and WA are proving to be a bit of a problem. Are you determined to take these reforms through to the election?

PM: Absolutely.

JOURNALIST: How hard is it going to be to get them on board?

PM: Well, this is the right plan for our nation's future, for our kids, and to ensure our schools are properly resourced for generations and generations to come.

So I will keep fighting for it. We will be there on Friday looking for states to sign up. We will keep fighting through to 30 June to get states on board.

And I will keep campaigning on this plan because it's right for our nation, for our kids, and for our economic future because we can't let countries in the region get in front of us when it comes to the quality of education.

JOURNALIST: Are those figures locked in, or could they change slightly as a bit of a sweetener for them?

PM: The figures are the figures, and they are there for everybody to absorb.

JOURNALIST: The 30 June deadline, with Parliament rising on 27 June, is there a chance you may need to bring Parliament back to legislate before the election?

PM: We will get the legislation through - I'm determined to do that. But the reason for the 30 June deadline is just simply, schools need to know what funding position they're in for next calendar year, next school year.

That's why we need to see people sign on by 30 June so schools have got six months' notice and six months to plan on what resources they'll have in their school from 2014 on.

JOURNALIST: If they hold out to 30 June, will you need to bring Parliament back before the election?

PM: No, we will legislate based on the funding arrangements and plans that we are making. We can enter agreements with state governments and we will if they step up to the plate.

We are asking for $1 for every $2 we are prepared to put in. We are going to index at 4.7 per cent. We're asking them to index at at least 3 per cent and to stop the cuts.

So the menu for state governments - the ask is a very clear one - no more cuts, index at at least 3 per cent, and for every $2 we put in, be prepared to put in $1, and get school funding right for generations to come, associated with improving our schools so quality is rising.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, what's more important - the education reforms or Labor's re-election chances?

PM: This is the right plan for our nation's future, and what we are talking about today it's a huge national plan, it's a huge difference for our nation, I've be making that clear all day.

This is the biggest change in school funding in 40 years. And if you want to know what kind of nation we're going to be tomorrow, have a look in our schools.

If we want to be a stronger nation tomorrow, we've got to have better funded schools today.

Thank you very much.

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