Senate debate begins on Gonski 2.0

The first bill on the Senate's agenda today is the Australian Education Amendment Bill 2017.

Members of the Senate are being targeted by the AEU and Catholic Education Commission of Victoria (CECV) in an attempt to thwart Gonski 2.0. The ABC reports CECV was contacting marginal Liberal seats only last night with a robocall campaign claiming school fees will rise under the new funding model.

"What we are seeing now is our government put forward a proposal to deliver needs based funding, which addresses disadvantage, which is fair, which is transparent and frankly for Catholic schools in my electorate is an absolute boost," said Victorian Liberal MP Sarah Henderson.

Pete Goss of the Grattan Institute criticized the AEU's attack on Gonski 2.0 in an article printed in The Age on 20 June 2017.

"The AEU is particularly pressuring The Greens to not pass Gonski 2.0. But, if the reports of a government offer to The Greens are accurate, the union is cutting off its nose to spite its face. The deal flagged in this paper on Saturday would see government schools about $2 billion better off over four years than the status quo. Yet the AEU says this deal should be rejected," wrote Goss.

Pauline Hanson's One Nation party announced they would support the Coalition's school funding plans. While other parties are yet to confirm.

"We are still in very close discussions with the Government on this. I am optimistic that later this morning we will have something to say in terms of a package of measures that will deliver terrific outcomes for students, schools across the country," SA Senator Nick Xenophon said today.