Federal government education plans on the brink with ‘special deal’ for Catholic schools on the cards

PM Malcolm Turnbull’s centrepiece education funding plan could be unravelling as the government considers a one-year delay for Catholic schools to calm backbench fears.

• Liberals angry at ‘dirty’ schools funding deal with Greens
• Government seeks to end the Gonski fund fight

PRIME Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s centrepiece education funding plan could be unravelling as the government considers a one-year delay for Catholic schools to calm backbench fears and the Greens rule out deciding on a position until at least tomorrow.

That would give the government just a few hours to pass the multi-billion plan before Parliament retires until August.

But any special deal for the Catholic system would inflame the private school sector, which is backing the government, and risk alienating the Greens, whose votes are the easiest way for the government to pass any deal through the Senate.

The Greens met for a party room meeting earlier today, and there was a strong feeling in the room there should be no special deal for Catholic schools.

Senator Nick Xenophon may be needed to help pass the government’s school plan. Picture: AAP Image/Mick Tsikas

Without the Greens, the government would need One Nation and Nick Xenophon, as well as other independents, to pass the plan.

But Western Australian Liberal senator Chris Back has already threatened to cross the floor if money is taken from Catholic schools, while former Abbott government minister Kevin Andrews is also concerned about that development.

The government is now in discussions with Senator Back about pushing back the change from a so-called “system weighted average” model for Catholic schools for a year.

That would give those schools more time to plan for a change to how money is distributed.

While Education Minister Simon Birmingham’s plan does not reduce money for Catholic schools, it does slow the rate of growth over a decade while public school funding grows at a significantly faster rate.

“What we’re working through are technical issues that people may have to make sure that the autonomy of Catholic education is preserved, that their right to operate as a system is retained clearly in the legislation so that they can continue to distribute the record growing funding,” Senator Birmingham said today.

Federal Education Minister Simon Birmingham said they are working on a plan to “make sure that the autonomy of Catholic education is preserved”. Picture: AAP Image/Mick Tsikas

The Daily Telegraph revealed today another Abbott government minister, Eric Abetz, is also considering voting against any plan that is detrimental to Catholic schools and is worried about a deal with the Greens.

But Senator Abetz is in Tasmania, and would not cast a vote if the legislation is presented to the Senate on Wednesday as planned.

Assistant Social Services Minister Zed Seselja this morning said the government did not “want to have a fight” with the Catholic school system, but said any deal with the Greens would not undermine the Coalition’s values.

“(The Catholic education sector is) going to put their case and obviously discussions will take place with them,” he told Sky News.

“We want to have a good working relationship with the Catholic sector, just as we do with the independent sector and just as we do with the government sector.”

The Australian Education Union, which represents teachers at public schools, is aggressively campaigning against the so-called Gonski 2.0 reforms.

While the government maintains it will add $18 billion in funding over a decade, possibly more money in a shorter time under a deal with the Greens, the union and Labor say it is a $22 billion cut from what was agreed to by the Gillard government.