AN independent candidate for the Federal seat of Farrer at May’s national poll is seeking to make education a big issue in the electorate ahead of the vote.
Last week, Michelle Milthorpe came out with a critical assessment of the Federal Government’s approach to education funding.
A teacher herself, Ms Milthorpe publicly made her position known after meeting with representees from the NSW Teachers Federation.
She said the rollout timeframes for the Labor Party’s pledge to increase funding to education across the country by the mid 2030s was too long.
“Education is the foundation of opportunity, yet our public schools remain chronically underfunded,” Ms Milthorpe said.
“Despite the critical role public schools play in shaping Australia’s future, they continue to receive inadequate financial support compared to private schools.
“The recent agreement to increase Federal funding to 25 per cent of the Schooling Resource Standard by 2034 is a step forward, but it does not address the immediate and pressing needs of public schools today.
“We must act now to ensure that every child, regardless of their background or postcode, has access to a high-quality education.”
Ms Milthorpe also took aim current Member for Farrer and deputy leader of the Liberal Party, Sussan Ley, over a line in her speech to Federal Parliament last year during a debate over free TAFE.
“It’s a key tenant of the Liberal Party,” Ms Ley said at the time. “If you don’t pay for something, you don’t value it.
“So if you’re told your TAFE is free, and all you have to do is turn up, and you have to do some work, and you get a qualification at the end, if that’s all that it is, but you haven’t paid for it, you don’t see it as something that makes a difference to you in your life. You don’t see it as something valuable.”
Ms Milthorpe said that philosophy towards education funding was concerning.
“Education must remain a right, not a privilege,” she said. “I will stand against policies that devalue or underfund our public school system.”
