Criticism over Labor’s funding commitment to schools in marginal seats

Schools in marginal seats have been quietly offered millions of dollars by Labor in what the federal government says is a “dodgy cash splash”.

Labor has been quietly promising money to schools in marginal seats from a $440m fund, even though principals have not been publicly offered the opportunity to apply for the grants.

Education Minister Stuart Robert blasted the scheme as a “re-election slush fund” that was “disingenuously dressed up as a commitment to schools in need”.

Anthony Albanese unveiled the commitment in January to help students and schools “bounce back” from Covid shutdowns.

It included $200m to be divided up between every school nationwide for initiatives to improve the wellbeing of students – such as counsellors, camps or sporting activities – and $240m for Covid-safe upgrades including ventilation systems and outdoor learning spaces.

The school funding program was announced by opposition leader Anthony Albanese in January. Picture: iStock

Labor policy documents said all schools would be able to apply for grants this year to deliver those works, with a second round of grants next year for larger investments in new buildings and major refurbishments.

And opposition education spokeswoman Tanya Plibersek promised to “work with state and territory governments and school systems to make sure that the money’s directed to where it will make the biggest difference”.

But the Herald Sun can reveal Ms Plibersek has already been handing out the cash in marginal seats, including $20,000 to a school in the NSW electorate of Dobell, which Labor’s Emma McBride holds by a 1.5 per cent margin.

Social media posts show she has promised $2m for a sports hub, $60,000 for a playground and $15,000 for an audio visual system for schools in Blair, the Queensland electorate Shayne Neumann holds by 1.2 per cent.

Opposition leader Anthony Albanese. Picture: Morgan Sette

Education Minister Stuart Robert. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

The Herald Sun has also seen an email from a Labor MP to a principal which offered to support them “in preparing a submission” to Ms Plibersek for funding.

The opposition dodged questions from the Herald Sun about how the money was allocated, with a Labor spokesman only saying they would “ensure schools across Australia will benefit in a fair and even-handed way”.

Mr Robert said: “They are giving schools false hope, inviting them to apply for money in a program that doesn’t exist, with no guidelines and no processes.”

“This dodgy cash splash ... is a shameless attempt to give money to seats they are desperate to hold,” he said.

But the Labor spokesman said their commitments had been “warmly welcomed” as parents and teachers were “crying out for school upgrades after a decade of neglect by the Liberals”.

The Labor leader has said the Coalition “completely corrupted the granting process”, and threatened to have their “rorts and waste” investigated by a future corruption watchdog.