NewsBite

Gonski comes back-ski for another shot at schools funding

David Gonski is back. Malcolm Turnbull speaking in Sydney, yesterday:

I’m pleased to announce that David Gonski has agreed to lead a new review, Gonski 2.0, if you like, into achieving excellence in Australian schools.

Yes, that David Gonski. Yes, he’s reviewing school funding. No, you’re not having deja vu. The Australian, May 1, 2010:

Businessman David Gonski will lead the panel of eminent people picked by education minister Julia Gillard to review the nation’s system of funding government and non-government schools.

It’s like Rocky Horrorbut less sex and aliens, more boring people and complex government funding arrangements. The Rocky Horror Show, June 19, 1973:

Let’s do the Time Warp again.

Nick Cater says the old “Gonski” reforms were disfigured by Labor. Now things will be done Gonski’s way. The Australian, yesterday:

You can’t help feeling sorry for David Gonski, who forever will be associ­ated with an act of policy vandalism that looks nothing like the schools funding scheme he envisaged … Today the system is virtually impenetrable, built on 27 disparate education agreements, hurriedly negoti­ated to meet an election deadline, in terms that depart wildly from the simpler, more equitable scheme to which the Gonski review aspired.

The Sydney Morning Herald political editor Peter Hartcher ruminates on the Prime Minister and Donald Trump, the Herald, yesterday:

Malcolm Turnbull will strike a pose with Trump this week on the deck of a retired warship in New York Harbour … But the reality of US alliances under Trump is not the cheerful one to be played out on the USS Missouri …

Ah, the USS Missouri, one of the great World War II ships. Wikipedia entry:

USS Missouri (BB-63) … was best remembered as the site of the surrender of the Empire of Japan which ended World War II.

It had a distinguished history before it was retired. USS Missouri Memorial website:

On January 29, 1999, after years of dedicated community effort, the Battleship Missouri returned to service as centrepiece of the Battleship Missouri Memorial in Pearl Harbor.

Wait … hold on … the ship is in Pearl Harbor? As in Pearl Harbor in Hawaii? Wikipedia:

Pearl Harbor is a lagoon harbour on the island of Oahu, Hawaii …

The US President and Turnbull are meeting aboard the USS Intrepid in New York, The Australian, April 27:

In a lightning visit, the Prime Minister will fly to New York next Wednesday to accept Mr Trump’s invitation to meet on a World War II aircraft carrier … Next week’s event on the USS Intrepid …

Hartcher could have read his own paper before he mixed up his battleships. The Sydney Morning Herald online, April 26:

Mr Spicer said the president would speak on board the USS Intrepid … Mr Trump will then hold talks with the Australian prime minister.

Peter, there’s a very easy way to check these little things. Search Eng­ine Land website, How to Use Google:

Just type what you’re interested in finding into the search box on the Google website or into your toolbar.

Add your comment to this story

To join the conversation, please Don't have an account? Register

Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout

Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/cutandpaste/gonski-comes-backski-for-another-shot-at-schools-funding/news-story/1015a943324617a7665125d58aaf2fc8