Interview - Sunrise

NATALIE BARR: Let's bring in Education Minister Jason Clare and Deputy Opposition Leader Sussan Ley. Good morning to both of you. Jason, is this a PM who's clearing the decks for an election?

JASON CLARE, MINISTER FOR EDUCATION: You ask me that question every week.

BARR: But we seem to be getting closer. Why is this happening?

CLARE: We're going to have an election in the next 12 months or so. That's true. Linda and Brendan are retiring. They're great friends of mine. And quick shout out to them. Good people, good Ministers. They've been through their fair share of pain and tragedy in their own life. Linda lost her husband and her son and Brendan, in the last few years, lost his wife. They've dedicated most of their life to public service and we really want to wish them well for the future.

BARR: And so what happens now? Does Andrew Giles go?

CLARE: The Prime Minister's going to make an announcement on the weekend about the Ministers that are in the new portfolios.

BARR: And what have you heard?

CLARE: I haven't heard anything. Even if I had heard, Nat, do you think I'm going to tell you on television?

BARR: Jason, you're in the in crowd, aren't you? Come on, you guys talk.

CLARE: I'm not telling you a thing.

BARR: Sussan, have you heard anything?

SUSSAN LEY: I haven't, Nat, unsurprisingly. But I wish Brendan O'Connor well, he's been my opposite number in the skills and training portfolio. And I also wish Linda Burney well with her extraordinary personal story. We need somebody really good in skills and training, Jason, it could be you. Maybe that would work really well. It's such an important agenda and an issue for the country. But, Nat, this is a time, having been in government, when a lot of people wait a somewhat nervously for the phone to ring. Because in a sense, Jason, you're right, no one really does know. It's absolutely the Prime Minister's decision. And when he makes it, everybody finds out, including the nation.

BARR: The phones will be running hot on the weekend. Well, the NSW Education Minister is proposing all year one primary school students take a numeracy test because kids who are struggling need to be identified and helped much earlier. What do you think of this, Jason?

CLARE: Watch this space, is what I'd say. I've offered $16 billion in additional funding to the states and territories to better fund our public schools. And that's not a blank cheque. I want that money tied to the sort of things that are going to help kids who fall behind when they're little at primary school to catch up and to keep up and to have more kids finish school. Part of that is identifying kids early who are falling behind and making sure that we provide them with extra support. This idea of a numeracy check comes out of a report that I commissioned a bit over a year ago. It's one of the recommendations about what we tie this money to. So, I'd say, watch this space.

BARR: Do you like this federally Sussan?

LEY: If universities have to do a better job teaching our teachers, then absolutely they should. Teachers have got so much on their plate at the moment, they've got too much to do in the way of paperwork, in the way of parenting, and it's a tough job and teachers are the best of us. So, let's back them in every step of the way because we know that it all starts at school. Actually, it starts in early learning. I'm a product of Australian public schools and I want all Australian public schools.

BARR: To be strong before we go to the Olympics. Jason, any Olympians from your electorate that you're going to be watching?

CLARE: Yeah. Well, Mary Fowler, you know, Mary's from North Queensland originally, but she did play for the Bankstown Lions.

BARR: So, you're claiming her?

CLARE: Absolutely we are. And Tina Rahimi, who's a boxer, comes from Bankstown as well, packs a punch. And so we'll be all cheering on Tina as well.

BARR: Yeah, she's been speaking out on her uniform too, so that's good this week.

LEY: Albury has that, the extraordinary Lauren Jackson. And she has inspired a nation of young women not just to play basketball, but to step up and find their voice and be who they are. So, absolutely we will be watching her. To come back into the sport age 40, that is an inspiration. Absolutely. I think we're all watching everyone and we're all backing every single Olympian.

BARR: Yeah, it's a great story, too, isn't it? Thank you both for coming on this show.