Voters in Corangamite prefer public school investment over tax cuts for the wealthy

New polling has shown that voters in Corangamite haven’t been fooled by the Morrison Government’s attempts to disguise its $14 billion in public school funding cuts as evidence of record school funding.

The Morrison Government cuts would see $804 million cut from public schools in Victoria over the next three years.

According to the polling, large majority of voters in Corangamite support a greater investment in public schools rather than tax cuts for high income earners as proposed by the Morrison Government.

Nearly two thirds of voters polled in Corangamite, including nearly 44% of Liberal voters, said a much greater investment in local public schools was a better use of federal funding than tax cuts for high income earners.

The poll of 650 voters was conducted last week.

Australian Education Union Victoria Branch President Meredith Peace said an overwhelming majority of voters in Corangamite also indicated that public school funding would be an important or very important issue for them when deciding how to vote.

“The Morrison Government’s plan to cut $804 million cut from public schools in Victoria while delivering big tax cuts to high income earners is the opposite to what the public wants,” Ms Peace said.

“They want to see our children in public schools in Bannockburn, Winchelsea and Apollo Bay put first, not unaffordable tax cuts that will lead to $40 billion in government spending cuts every year just to pay for them.”

The polling shows:

• Nearly 8 in 10 voters in Corangamite say proper funding of public schools is important to them when deciding how to vote including 70% of Liberal supporters.
• 65% of all voters in Corangamite want to prioritise funding for public schools over extra funding for private schools.
• Nearly three times as many Liberal voters in Corangamite would prioritise funding for public schools over private schools (45% vs 17%).
• 66% of undecided voters in Corangamite would prefer much greater investment in public schools over tax cuts for those on high incomes

46% of voters in Corangamite say the Coalition’s $4.6 billion special funding deal to private schools makes them less likely to vote Liberal.

“The Federal Coalition’s record on education and public schools is a poor one,” Ms Peace said.

“First Tony Abbott tried to cut $30 billion from schools, and then Malcolm Turnbull and Scott Morrison reduced that to a $14 billion cut for public schools.”

“That meant schools across Corangamite, from Meredith to Moriac, received less funding for high-needs students, such as those with a disability and those from disadvantaged backgrounds,” Ms Peace said.

“By contrast, public schools in Corangamite would receive an extra $15,200,000 in funding in the first three years of a Shorten Labor Government.

Ms Peace said there was a clear choice for voters in Corangamite who care about public schools and students, with Labor pledging to reverse all Scott Morrison’s $14 billion in school cuts.

“Public schools in Corangamite deserve better,” Ms Peace said.