Nationals leader signals fight with Canberra over schools funding

NEW NSW Nationals leader Troy Grant has backed his deputy’s tough stance with the Abbott government on schools funding.

TROY Grant, the new leader of the NSW Nationals, has backed his deputy’s tough stance with the Abbott government, signalling the federal government cannot bank on the backing of the NSW government.

The new NSW Deputy Premier backed the Education Minister and deputy Nationals leader Adrian Piccoli in his fractious relationship with the federal government over Gonski school funding model.

Mr Grant was confirmed yesterday as National Party leader, and Deputy Premier, after the resignation on Wednesday of former head Andrew Stoner.

Mr Piccoli has led the NSW government support for the full six years of funding for the Gonski reforms to school funding while the Abbott government has guaranteed only four years of funding, avoiding the ramp-up in funds in the final two years.

Mr Grant said Mr Piccoli had taken a ­national leadership role in advocating for the full Gonski funding model.

“I support him all the way on that,’’ he said. “He has taken some courageous decisions. He has taken on the feds; he’s got my total support to continue to do great things in education.

“He’s done remarkable things in education. My schools, I know personally, and the schools west of me were in dire need of investment in education. He’s led the charge nationally on Gonski.’’

The Gonski school funding formula ensures greater funding for indigenous students, and Mr Grant, a former country police officer, has expressed particular interest in Aboriginal issues. Earlier this year he became the first person to address the NSW parliament in the Wiradjuri language.

Mr Grant said he intended to see his party retain at next year’s election all 19 of the seats it holds. The Nationals have been susceptible to strong independents in apparently safe seats.

Mr Grant won Dubbo in 2011 after the seat had been held by two successive independents.

The Nationals face a tricky balancing act in northern NSW seats over of coal-seam gas, between its mining industry supporters and its farming and residents’ constituencies.

Mr Grant praised NSW chief scientist Mary O’Kane, who last week produced a report on regulating CSG, and called for emotion to be taken out of the debate.

“We need to have a proper sensible discussion about this issue. Everyone is yelling at each other. No one is listening. We need to sit down and get the right outcomes for the community.”