Little Dan the man at it again.
Labor lease ports , the media is silent.
LNP lease ports, the media goes into a fit of outrage.
Labor cuts education, the media is silent.
LNP cuts education , the media goes into a fit of outrage.
The federal government has demanded an explanation from Victoria over plans to "reprioritise" tens of millions of dollars in education funding – including Commonwealth money designed to make public schools more "independent".
Labor costings released on the eve of November's election suggest the Andrews government will shift $13.5 million worth of funds from Tony Abbott's so-called Independent Public Schools initiative - a state-federal deal signed with the former Napthine government to encourage greater autonomy in schools.
A further $60 million will be also redirected from a $563 million state-based fund to improve teaching quality, tailor support to students from disadvantaged backgrounds, and provide for growth of non-government schools - but in both cases, it is not clear where the money will go.
The changes have sparked a "please explain" from Federal Education Minister Christopher Pyne, who wrote to his Victorian counterpart James Merlino in mid-December seeking "urgent advice" on the matter.