Opinion: Turnbull hits Labor, Abbott where it hurts

MALCOLM Turnbull was packing heat today, and with one, well-timed and calibrated shot, he has maimed Bill Shorten, unions and Tony Abbott.

• PM’s Education funding overhaul

MALCOLM Turnbull was packing heat today, and with one, well-timed and calibrated shot, he has maimed Bill Shorten, unions and Tony Abbott.

The Prime Minister’s announcement that he would embrace the needs-funding school model, that Mr Abbott and the Coalition for so long had said was unaffordable, is a significant blow to Labor.

What made it even sweeter for the Coalition, is that the architect of the needs-based funding plan, David Gonski, (who was asked by the former Labor government to come up with the original blueprint) was standing next to Mr Turnbull and Education Minister Simon Birmingham.

David Gonski looks on as Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull makes the announcement. Picture: AAP Image/Joel Carrett

Mr Turnbull announced he will pump an extra $18.6 billion into schools over the next decade.

Bill Shorten and Opposition education spokeswoman Tanya Plibersek must have choked on their 2pm Cornflakes when they saw Mr Gonski championing Mr Turnbull’s new plan, which is more aligned to the original blueprint.

The problem was Julia Gillard squibbed it and made ridiculous decisions like continuing to overfund rich schools and continuing special secret deals. For example, kids in some states, with the same type of disadvantage, were being funded differently.

David Gonski being by the PM’s side would’ve infuriated Labor. Picture: AAP Image/Joel Carrett

But heroically, Ms Plibersek stood up today and railed against Mr Turnbull for ripping money out of schools (cash that Mr Shorten never committed to at the last election).

When Ms Gillard announced a bastardised version of Gonski, the Coalition said it was too much money.

In 2013, the then new prime minister Tony Abbott refused to commit to all of the funding, sparking attacks by Labor and unions, who have been touring around the country attacking the Coalition for their “cuts” to education. It hurt Mr Turnbull and the Coalition at the July election.

The Gonski attacks have been a key weapon in Labor and the unions’ rage against the Coalition.

Today, Mr Turnbull was authentic and sharp. Many were starting to believe that the man who knifed Tony Abbott in 2015 morphed into a cyborg controlled by the right wing of the party. Today Mr Turnbull, the human being, seemed back in control.

There was no pollie waffle and it was good policy. He also made tough decisions, like telling elite, wealthy private schools the funds would be redirected to schools that need it more.

Labor does not agree they’ve been injured in the political broadside, and in true Monty Python-style, it’s even refusing to admit it has received a flesh wound.