Deep Dive β€” Investigation 007

Education: Follow the Record

69,875 speeches. $338.3M in related donations. What changed?

69,875

Speeches

889

MPs Spoke

$338.3M

Related Donations

1998–2025

Time Span

Why It Matters

For over two decades, Australian MPs have debated education in Parliament. 69,875 speeches from 889 MPs tell a story of rhetoric that often outpaces legislative action.

69,875

Parliamentary speeches about education

Hansard parliamentary record

889

Distinct MPs who spoke on education

Hansard parliamentary record

$338.3M

In related industry donations to political parties

AEC annual returns

The parliamentary record on education reveals a pattern common across Australian politics: passionate debate in the chamber paired with limited legislative progress. Understanding this gap is the first step toward accountability.

Parliamentary Debate Over Time

Speeches about education peaked in 2014, driven by major policy debates of the era. The volume of parliamentary discussion has fluctuated significantly, often spiking around elections and key legislative moments.

Source: Hansard (parlinfo.aph.gov.au)

Key Moments

The turning points, broken promises, and moments of progress.

1998

Early Education Debates

Parliamentary discussion of education begins in earnest.

Ongoing debate
2014

Peak Parliamentary Interest

The year with the most speeches on education, reflecting heightened public concern.

Heightened scrutiny
2025

Current State

Where the parliamentary debate on education stands today.

Under review

Follow the Dollar

A total of $338.3M in related donations flowed to political parties. The data reveals which industries have the deepest financial ties to the parties that shape policy on this issue.

Source: AEC annual returns. Amounts are declared donations only.

Australian Council of Trade Unions

$99.7M

Total related donations received

Universities Australia

$99.4M

Total related donations received

Australian Nursing & Midwifery Federation

$34.4M

Total related donations received

The Union Education Foundation Limited

$39.4M

30 donations over 2009-2010-2024-25

University of Melbourne

$33.3M

159 donations over 2002-2003-2024-25

Department of Education and Training Victoria

$16.2M

48 donations over 2021-22-2024-25

Australian Education Union (AEU)

$15.7M

9 donations over 2022-23-2024-25

Australian Education Union (AEU) Federal Office

$14.9M

9 donations over 2018-19-2021-22

Department of Education, Skills and Employment

$12.9M

12 donations over 2019-20-2022-23

How They Actually Vote

Voting record scores from TheyVoteForYou.org.au. Higher percentage means more supportive of policy action on this issue.

Source: TheyVoteForYou.org.au. Scores based on parliamentary division voting records.

In Their Own Words

Direct quotes from the parliamentary record β€” sourced from Hansard.

D’Ath, Yvette, MPALP

2009-10-29

β€œIt is my pleasure today to congratulate the 15 students of the QUTeach@Redcliffe program who graduated on Tuesday night at Redcliffe State High School. Eleven of the students who graduated that night were from Redcliffe State High School, with two fr”
Spoke FOR action
Livermore, Kirsten, MPALP

2010-06-22

β€œI am pleased to have the opportunity to speak on this matter of public importance placed on the Notice Paper by the member for Lyne. I realised, as I was closely reading the topic and listening to the member for Kennedy, that I had probably misunders”
Spoke FOR action
Mossfield, Frank, MPALP

2004-06-24

β€œI want to speak about schools in my electorate of Greenway and about education in general. I think it is generally recognised that Greenway is the educational capital of Western Sydney, due to its vast educational facilities. I do not expect you to t”
Spoke FOR action
Hartsuyker, Luke, MPNATS

2007-02-26

β€œTeacher education is undeniably important to the social and economic wellbeing of Australia. Research has found that the quality of teaching a student receives is the most important factor influencing their achievement. This means that better quality”
Spoke FOR action
Bishop, Julie, MPLP

2007-05-09

β€œI thank the member for Solomon for his question. I can confirm that, last night, the Treasurer announced an unprecedented investment in our universitiesβ€”a $1.7 billion package of funds for our universities, plus a $5 billion Higher Education Endowmen”
Spoke FOR action
Pyne, Christopher, MPLP

2015-02-23

β€œI thank the member for Casey for his question. I can tell him that, in more good news from the Abbott government, we are getting on with the job of improving student outcomes for students at school in Australia, this time by improving teacher trainin”
Spoke FOR action

Who Spoke Most?

The MPs who spoke most frequently on this issue. Speaking volume does not equal commitment to action.

Key Findings

What the Data Reveals

Automated analysis of speeches, votes, and donations β€” surfacing the patterns that matter.

What Can You Do?

This data is a tool for citizen engagement. Here is how you can act.

This investigation uses data from Hansard (parlinfo.aph.gov.au), the Australian Electoral Commission transparency register, and TheyVoteForYou.org.au. All speech data is sourced from the official parliamentary record. OPAX is an independent, non-partisan project.