Election campaign: If your child is in school here, union has you in its sights

CLAIMING a Federal Government funding deal with private schools will leave state school students behind, one of the nation’s biggest unions has promised to target residents living in these key Queensland seats in the lead up to the federal election.

AUSTRALIAN Education Union will target six marginal seats in the battleground state of Queensland leading to the next election, claiming the Federal Government’s funding deal with private schools was leaving state school students behind.

On the union’s hit list are north and central Queensland seats of Capricornia (Rockhampton), Flynn (Gladstone), Leichhardt (Cairns/Cook) as well as Petrie, north of Brisbane, and Forde in Logan.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton’s seat of Dickson is also in their sights, putting it under increasing pressure from a growing number of third parties.

It follows the Morrison Government announcing $4.6 billion in additional funding as a peace deal for Catholic and independent schools last week.

The Catholic sector had been protesting over its share of school funding since May last year when the Gonski 2.0 model was announced and notably took action during the Longman by-election campaign in July.

AEU boss Correna Haythorpe said the six Queensland seats were among 18 across the country, while they would ramp up advertising online and on social media.

“We’re going to throw everything at this, this is a critical issue,” she said.

“When you have a government which delivers a $4.6 billion package to the private sector but leaves the public sector sitting behind the post that’s a huge problem.”

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he was not surprised the union would be campaigning leading into the election.

“We are increasing funding for state schools at record levels,” he said.

“When you increase funding, they say you’re cutting funding. Don’t believe the union’s lies.”

Education Minister Dan Tehan said he was confident he would secure agreements with state governments over their own school funding arrangements as negotiations continue.

“These are more than just about a dollar figure, these negotiations,” he said.

The LNP holds Capricornia and Forde by a 0.6 per cent margin, Flynn by 1 per cent, Dickson and Petrie by 1.6 per cent and Leichhardt by 4 per cent.