Mums, Dads and P&Cs across Australia cook up thousands of “democracy sausages” every election day to raise money for their schools.

They spend hours fundraising for schools through sausage sizzles, lamington drives and raffles because a bit of extra money makes a big difference.

More money means more teachers and more individual attention for every student.

It means better teaching, and additional help with the basics like reading, writing, maths, science, and computer skills too.

That’s why Labor is committed to extra funding for all schools, especially the schools that have a lot of kids that need more support.  Labor's plan for schools would see the schools that need the most help get the most money. 

Sadly, despite promising during the 2013 election not to cut education, the Liberals are slashing $30 billion from schools over the next ten years. Every child, in every school, in every state will lose.

Local schools in Ipswich and the Somerset Region will lose more than $32 million over the next few years alone.

On average, the Liberals’ cuts cost individual schools about $3 million each. If they make $1,000 from a sausage sizzle, each school needs to hold 3,000 additional sausage sizzles to make up the shortfall. Think about it: that’s more than five sausage sizzles a week for the next 10 years.

Since the last election I have visited most of the local schools and seen first-hand the terrific work they are doing.

Principals have made it clear that they want Labor’s needs-based funding to stay.

Local schools have used the additional funding to employ teacher aides, relief teachers and speech pathologists; implement literacy, numeracy and reading programs; and provide training and professional development for their teachers.

The Liberals’ cuts to schools mean these additional staff and programs are set for the chopping block.

Test results show Australian students are slipping behind the rest of the world. Malcolm Turnbull should be giving our schools the extra funding they need to do better. 

The Liberals can always find billions of dollars to spend on a tax cut for big business and the banks. But they can never seem to find the money to properly fund our schools.

Malcolm Turnbull’s tax cut for big business and the banks will cost every Australian man, woman and child up to $2,000 each over the next decade.

I do not know anyone who would want to give $2,000 to their bank rather than to their local school.

The Liberals are cutting funding from schools because they think you should only get a good education if you can afford to pay.

Labor believes getting a great education is the ticket to a lifetime of opportunity.

That’s what we want for our kids. It’s what Labor wants for all kids – and Malcolm Turnbull should want that too.