Supporting families in Reid

The Minister for Families, Jenny Macklin, and the Member for Reid, John Murphy, today met with local families at Auburn West Public School to discuss the important support the Gillard Government is providing to help give kids a great education.

The Minister for Families, Jenny Macklin, said 1.3 million Australian families would receive the Labor Government’s new Schoolkids Bonus this year – worth $820 for high school students, and $410 for primary school kids each year.

The Schoolkids Bonus is a new cash payment to help families with the costs of their children’s education – like school uniforms, shoes, textbooks and excursions. It is paid in two instalments when costs hit hardest – in January and July each year.

Ms Macklin said that families around the country are feeling the benefits of the first Schoolkids Bonus payment provided in January.

“About $588 million has already hit the bank accounts of families right across Australia. And there’s another payment to come in July,” Ms Macklin said.

Member for Reid, John Murphy, said around 7,000 families in Reid would receive a total of more than $7 million from the Schoolkids Bonus this year.

“That’s $7 million to local families, that’s being spent in local businesses like book shops, shoe shops, sports shops, department stores and stationery outlets” Mr Murphy said.

Tony Abbott has confirmed his plans to rip the Schoolkids Bonus away from families leaving around 7,000 families in Reid worse off.

“A typical family with two kids will be $15,000 worse off over the course of their children’s schooling if Mr Abbott gets elected.”

“It’s clear only the Gillard Government can be trusted to put the education of Australian students first,” Mr Murphy said.

Mr Murphy said the Government will also invest $13.6 billion in our schools this financial year.

This comes on top of record amounts invested into schools by the Labor Government – over $65 billion, and around $22 billion for early childhood measures by the end of 2015-16.

This year we will work with all states and territories to sign up to the National Plan for School Improvement. Our plan will drive concrete improvements in all schools and introduce measures that we know will lift results.

For the latest information about the Schoolkids Bonus and other family assistance measures, visit www.australia.gov.au/schoolkidsbonus or like the Australian Families Facebook page at www.facebook.com/FamiliesInAustralia.

For more information on the National Plan for School improvement visit www.betterschools.com.au