School funding, according to the Illawarra’s federal MPs. 

During multiple school showdowns, which played out in the Parliament this week, the region’s politicians took aim at each other amid cash concerns.

Every sitting day this week saw a question asked, or debate had, about school funding. On Wednesday, each of the region’s federal parliamentarians had their say – taking aim at one another in the process. 

Labor Cunningham MP Sharon Bird told Parliament of a number of schools in her electorate that would be hit hard by funding cuts. 

“In my area, the Liberal's refusal to honour their commitment to Gonski funding in 2018 and 2019, just in two years, will mean a cut of $54.3 million for schools across Cunningham, Whitlam and Gilmore: $15 million in my electorate, $22 million in my good colleague the member for Whitlam's electorate; and $19 million in the electorate of Gilmore,” Ms Bird said.

Speaking to the Australian Education Amendment Bill 2017, Ms Bird used Keira High School as an example of a school that would lose money – a $922,000 cut over the next two years, she said.

Gilmore Liberal MP Ann Sudmalis later corrected Ms Bird and said Keira High, which isn’t in her electorate, would receive more funding – from $2976 per student this year to $3127 next year.

“From my maths – and while I am only a masters educator – that is actually an increase, so I do not understand where these people are getting these mythical numbers from. They are quoting a six-year-old figure which was never funded – never funded,” Ms Sudmalis said.

The Liberal MP later went on to say: “The Labor Party tries to convince the community that their funding set-up six years ago under the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd Labor government was concrete and promised”.

“The final two years of their funding model were unfunded. They were not funded, and no matter how many times they repeat their squawk of 'funding cuts!', like the bird calls in the bush, repeating the call does not make it truth,” she said.

Whitlam MP Stephen Jones described Ms Sudmalis’ comments as a “shameful attack” on Ms Bird. 

“I know that the member for Gilmore is very fond of 'fudge analogies'. Well, I call on the member for Gilmore to stop fudging the figures when it comes to school education,” Mr Jones said.