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Public Matter

Issues · Schools and education

Public school funding

Votes on whether to commit more funding to public schools.

Votes on funding for public schools and their budgets.

How the 25 MLAs voted

11 for · 7 against · 7 not in these votes

Based on 1 recorded vote. For each vote we show which side counts as “for” this issue, and count how often each MLA voted on that side. This describes how they voted, not whether they were right. With fewer than 3 votes there are too few to show a pattern, so we only say which way each MLA voted.

What this can’t tell you

  • Most decisions in the Assembly are made on the voices, with no names recorded. Only recorded votes appear here.
  • Many of these votes are on changes to someone else’s motion. Voting against a change can mean “not like this” or “not funded yet”, not opposition to the idea.
  • Summaries say whose proposal each vote was on, so you can see when an MLA voted on their own motion or amendment.

Not yet checked. The plain-English summaries and the links between these votes and this issue were drafted with AI help and haven’t been checked by a person yet. The votes themselves are exactly as recorded in Hansard.

Each MLA

Squares show each vote, oldest first: for, against, not voting.

Voted for (11)

Voted against (7)

Not in any of these votes (7)

  • Andrew Barr · Kurrajong
    Labor    Not in any recorded vote on this issue
  • Deborah Morris · Brindabella
    Canberra Liberals    Not in any recorded vote on this issue
  • Ed Cocks · Murrumbidgee
    Canberra Liberals    Not in any recorded vote on this issue
  • Elizabeth Lee · Kurrajong
    Canberra Liberals    Not in any recorded vote on this issue
  • Marisa Paterson · Murrumbidgee
    Labor    Not in any recorded vote on this issue
  • Rebecca Vassarotti · Kurrajong
    ACT Greens    Not in any recorded vote on this issue
  • Suzanne Orr · Yerrabi
    Labor    Not in any recorded vote on this issue

The votes

  1. 1. 2 September 2025 · Public schools—school budgetsNot yet checked

    Mr Emerson's changes to a Liberal motion on school budgets. They called on the government to fund public schools well enough to stop falling enrolments. They passed.

    Voting Aye counts as for this issue. The changes called for more investment in public schools.

    Result: Ayes 12, Noes 7. Who voted each way

What Canberrans said about schools and education

25%picked “Delivering high-quality education” as one of their top three priorities for the ACT Government
42%of everyone surveyed agreed enough is currently being done about it

What they most wanted

  • Prioritise recruitment, retention and training of teachers69%
  • Prioritise funding for public schools65%
  • Improve student learning outcomes and engagement50%

From the 2025 Community Priorities Survey (ACT Government, YourSay Panel, summary report, april 2026), carried out 21 October to 4 November 2025: 1,801 people answered. An opt-in panel of Canberrans aged 18 and over, with extra young people recruited through a second panel, weighted by age, gender and region to match the 2021 Census. “What they most wanted” is out of the 478 people who picked this area; each could choose up to three. This shows what people told one survey. It isn’t a vote, and it doesn’t say how any MLA should vote.