One year to the day since Prime Minister Tony Abbott claimed the Liberals were on a ‘unity ticket’ with Labor on schools funding, new figures have revealed the Liberal Government plans to cut more than $682 million from Tasmanian schools over the next decade.

 

At a time when we should be investing in the future of Tasmania children, Tony Abbott’s Budget contains the biggest ever cut to schools funding Tasmania has ever seen.  On average, each student will receive $1,000 less support, per year.

 

This broken promise will hurt each and every Tasmanian school and each and every Tasmanian student.

 

The average school nationally will lose around $3.2 million as part of the Abbott Government’s $30 billion cut to schools - equivalent to sacking one in seven teachers.

 

Tony Abbott must explain why he thinks Tasmanian families should suffer from his pre-election lie that there would be no cuts to schools under his Government.

 

And Tasmanian Premier Will Hodgman must tell parents why he’s happy to stand idly by while schools have millions of dollars cut.

 

Our teachers want to be working to improve our schools, not spending their time and energy planning for how they will cope with these cuts.

 

On 5 August last year, Tony Abbott promised:

 

We are on a unity ticket and we’ll fund schools in exactly the same way that Labor will fund them.

[TONY ABBOTT, 5 AUGUST 2013, TODAY SHOW WITH KARL STEFANOVIC]

 

One year on, Australians can see this for the lie that it was.   On schools, on hospitals, on pensions and on taxes, Tony Abbott promised one thing before the election and did the complete opposite after the election.

 

Labor won't let the Prime Minister get away with his broken promises. His lies are hurting too many people.

 

Labor will fight for Medicare, for schools and for vulnerable people.

 

Tasmanians shouldn't have to pay the price for the Prime Minister's lies.

 

Schools funding cuts in Tasmania by Federal Electorate:

 

Bass	$154m
Braddon	$142m
Denison	$179m
Lyons	$91m
Franklin	$117m

 

Source: Based on 2012 student enrolments provided by the Department of Education and published by the Parliamentary Library.
TUESDAY, 5 AUGUST 2014

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