This bill did not become law and is no longer proceeding.
Education & skills
Schools still in transition under current funding rules would not be covered by these new ministerial checks and objectives straight away.
A funding gap left most public school students without the full School Resourcing StandardThe benchmark used here to measure how much funding a school needs and whether governments are paying their expected shares., because the Commonwealth provides 20% and most states and territories fall short of their 80% share. The bill lifts the federal shareThe part of a school's funding that the federal government is meant to pay under the education funding rules on this page. for government schools to at least 25%, sets a goal of fully funded public schools for every child, and requires the minister to align funding rules with that goal.
After Tony Abbott’s 2014 budget cuts reignited school funding fights, Malcolm Turnbull’s government in 2017 adopted David GonskiThe funding approach linked to David Gonski that aims to direct more money to schools with greater need.’s needs-based model, but the Commonwealth shareThe part of a school's funding that the federal government is meant to pay under the education funding rules on this page. for public schools still sat at 20 per cent and many states and territories remained short of their side of the Schooling Resource StandardThe benchmark used here to measure how much funding a school needs and whether governments are paying their expected shares.. The bill was introduced in 2023 to raise the federal shareThe part of a school's funding that the federal government is meant to pay under the education funding rules on this page. to at least 25 per cent and write fully funded public schools into national education law, but it was still only at second reading debateThe stage in Parliament where members debate whether the bill should go any further before it is voted on. in February 2024 and lapsed when Parliament ended in July 2025.
The main criticism was that the bill would make the Commonwealth pay more on its own without fixing the real problem critics saw: states and territories still falling short and funding reform needing to be negotiated, not imposed. That case was raised by Coalition senator Sarah Henderson and Labor senator Tony Sheldon, and it appears to have been limited to opponents who said they supported full public school funding in principle.
Senator Penny Allman-Payne introduced this bill. Speeches supporting it came from Greens.
Did it become law?
No
The bill did not complete passage through Parliament.
Final passage
Did not pass
1 recorded vote before the bill stopped proceeding
Time before failure
676 days
From introduction to the final recorded step before the bill stopped proceeding
Meaning
Schools still in transition under current funding rules would not be covered by these new ministerial checks and objectives straight away.
Federal funding for government schools would rise from 20% to at least 25% of the School Resourcing StandardThe benchmark used here to measure how much funding a school needs and whether governments are paying their expected shares., with regulations able to set a higher share.
Australian education law would add a goal that every school-aged child can attend a fully funded public school.
The federal Education Minister would have to make sure any regulation setting the federal shareThe part of a school's funding that the federal government is meant to pay under the education funding rules on this page. matches the goal of fully funding public schools for every child.
7. New subsection 35A(4) provides that, for the avoidance of doubt, subsections 35A(2) and (3) do not apply to government and non-government schools still covered by the transitional arrangements in sections 35B and 35C of the Australia Education Act 2013.Australian Education Amendment (Save Our Public Schools) explanatory memorandum
for a government school—25%, unless the regulations prescribe a higher percentage;Australian Education Amendment (Save Our Public Schools) explanatory memorandum
4. Item 1 inserts a new paragraph 3(c) into the objects in section 3 of the Australian Education Act 2013. The new paragraph 3(c) provides that an object of the Act is “to ensure every school-aged child in Australia has access to a fully funded government school”.Australian Education Amendment (Save Our Public Schools) explanatory memorandum
6. New subsections 35A(2) and (3) also insert an objective that when considering making a determination for the Commonwealth share the Minister must be satisfied that regulations are consistent with the objective in subsection 35A(3). Subsection 35A(3) states “the objective is that every school-aged child in Australia has access to a fully funded government school”.Australian Education Amendment (Save Our Public Schools) explanatory memorandum
Context
After Tony Abbott’s 2014 budget cuts reignited school funding fights, Malcolm Turnbull’s government in 2017 adopted David GonskiThe funding approach linked to David Gonski that aims to direct more money to schools with greater need.’s needs-based model, but the Commonwealth shareThe part of a school's funding that the federal government is meant to pay under the education funding rules on this page. for public schools still sat at 20 per cent and many states and territories remained short of their side of the Schooling Resource StandardThe benchmark used here to measure how much funding a school needs and whether governments are paying their expected shares.. The bill was introduced in 2023 to raise the federal shareThe part of a school's funding that the federal government is meant to pay under the education funding rules on this page. to at least 25 per cent and write fully funded public schools into national education law, but it was still only at second reading debateThe stage in Parliament where members debate whether the bill should go any further before it is voted on. in February 2024 and lapsed when Parliament ended in July 2025.
Abbott budget cuts reignite school funding fights
The Abbott government’s education cuts sharpened the political dispute over who should pay for school funding and left a long-running argument about public school resourcing unresolved.
Australian Financial Review ↗Turnbull adopts the Gonski needs-based funding modelThe funding approach linked to David Gonski that aims to direct more money to schools with greater need.
The Turnbull government pledged to deliver David GonskiThe funding approach linked to David Gonski that aims to direct more money to schools with greater need.’s model across the decade, entrenching the Schooling Resource StandardThe benchmark used here to measure how much funding a school needs and whether governments are paying their expected shares. as the benchmark for school funding.
Australian Financial Review ↗Greens introduce a bill to lift the Commonwealth shareThe part of a school's funding that the federal government is meant to pay under the education funding rules on this page. for public schools
Senator Allman-Payne introduced the bill to replace the 20 per cent Commonwealth shareThe part of a school's funding that the federal government is meant to pay under the education funding rules on this page. with a minimum 25 per cent share and add an objective of fully funded government schools for every child.
Hansard ↗Senate debate centres on the public school funding gap
During second reading debateThe stage in Parliament where members debate whether the bill should go any further before it is voted on., supporters argued the Schooling Resource StandardThe benchmark used here to measure how much funding a school needs and whether governments are paying their expected shares. was still not being met because the Commonwealth stayed at 20 per cent while states and territories were not delivering the full remainder.
Hansard ↗The bill lapses at the end of Parliament
Because the bill had not passed beyond the second reading stage, it fell when the Parliament ended and its proposed funding increase did not become law.
Parliamentary timeline ↗Legislative route
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
Introduced and read a first time
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
Second reading moved
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
Key criticism
The main criticism was that the bill would make the Commonwealth pay more on its own without fixing the real problem critics saw: states and territories still falling short and funding reform needing to be negotiated, not imposed. That case was raised by Coalition senator Sarah Henderson and Labor senator Tony Sheldon, and it appears to have been limited to opponents who said they supported full public school funding in principle.
Criticism focused on funding design and implementation, not opposition to public school funding itself.
Raises federal funding without fixing state shortfalls
Critics argued the bill targeted the wrong problem by pushing the Commonwealth above its current share even though states and territories were still not meeting their own funding responsibilities, risking a bigger federal contribution without solving the underlying shortfall.
Bypasses negotiated reform conditions
Critics said the bill would force a unilateral increase in Commonwealth funding instead of tying extra money to negotiations and reform conditions through the National School Reform AgreementThe agreement critics say should be used to negotiate school funding changes instead of changing the federal share by itself., which they argued was the proper mechanism for lasting school funding change.
Further sources
Votes
Other recorded votes grouped by chamber. Expand a vote to see the party breakdown.
Senate
Defeated 11 to 26. Support came from Greens and minor parties and independents. Opposition came from Labor, Liberal Party, and Jacqui Lambie Network.
The motion was defeated 26 to 11, so debate was not cut short and the bill did not advance at this stage.
This list includes amendment votes, procedural votes and votes on the bill itself.
Parliamentary debate
Start here — lead voices
Allman-Payne supports the bill and says it would force the federal government to lift its share of school funding so government schools can be fully funded to the School Resourcing StandardThe benchmark used here to measure how much funding a school needs and whether governments are paying their expected shares..
Read in Hansard ↗Sheldon opposes the bill.
Read in Hansard ↗Henderson opposes the bill, saying the government has created a funding shambles and broken its promise on public school funding.
Read in Hansard ↗All speeches by bloc
1 speaker · 1 oppose
“Importantly, as I say, the National School Reform Agreement will tie funding to reforms to improve outcomes. That is the fundamental, critical thing. That's one of the reasons I'm opposed to this proposition put forward by the Greens—because we have to actually make sure that we have tied funding to reforms to improve outcomes. That's a shared discussion, that's a shared negotiation and that's a shared ambition to make sure that we deliver together with the states, in cooperation.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
1 speaker · 1 oppose
“So, while the minister has talked a big game on the National School Reform Agreement, we have seen no national agreement and we have seen very little in the way of school reforms. I condemn this government for reigniting the funding wars through its own actions and through misleading Australians—the rubbish of a commitment that it gave. Now it's very clear that this government is not going to deliver full and fair funding, as it says, even though the Commonwealth is delivering its full funding commitment to public schools under Gonski. So Jason Clare has led Australian families up the garden path.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
1 speaker · 2 contributions · 1 support
Hansard records 2 separate contributions by Penny Allman-Payne on this bill. They are grouped here so the speaker is listed once.
Second reading speech
Allman-Payne supports the bill and says it would force the federal government to lift its share of school funding so government schools can be fully funded to the School Resourcing StandardThe benchmark used here to measure how much funding a school needs and whether governments are paying their expected shares.. She argues the change is needed because most states and territories are not meeting their current funding share, leaving public school students underfunded.
“The Bill proposes amendments to the Australian Education Act 2013 that will introduce a positive obligation on the federal government to increase the proportion of funding provided to government schools. The purpose of the amendments is to strengthen the onus that ensures government schools are fully funded to their minimum standard.”Read this contribution in Hansard ↗
Second reading speech
Penny Allman-Payne backs the bill, saying it would lift the Commonwealth funding floor for public schools to 25 per cent and help end chronic underfunding. She argues Labor should pass it now and close loopholes that let states fall short of their public school funding obligations.
“I rise today in favour of the Australian Education Amendment (Save Our Public Schools) Bill 2023. This bill would replace the so-called cap on the Commonwealth's share of public school funding with a floor. This would mean the education minister must commit 25 per cent as a minimum towards the bilateral funding agreements with states and territories.”Read this contribution in Hansard ↗
Record
Senate · Introduced and read a first time
Introduced
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
Senate · Second reading moved
Second reading opened
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
Senate · Second reading debate
Second reading debateThe stage in Parliament where members debate whether the bill should go any further before it is voted on.
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
Senate · Lapsed at end of Parliament
Lapsed at end of Parliament
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
