Media Release

Peter Gutwein MP
Shadow Treasurer

Friday 18th June 2010

Thorp First to Cut Education Budget in 12 Years

Lin Thorp is the first Labor Education Minister in 12 years to actually propose a decrease in education funding from the Consolidated Fund.

This will be the first time that the Parliament has been asked to vote for a reduction in education funding in more than a decade.

No other Education Minister in recent memory has ever requested Parliament vote for less education funding that what was received from the Consolidated Fund in the previous year.

In 2009-10, Education is expected to receive $1.384 billion in total funding from the Consolidated Fund. In 2010-11, Education will receive $1.340 billion, a cut of $44 million. The Education Minister must explain why this reduction is occurring.