Rudd warns PM on Gonski reform

Kevin Rudd has warned the PM the government is failing to sell the Gonski education reforms. Picture: Aaron Francis Source: HWT Image Library

KEVIN Rudd has warned the Gillard government it has failed to sell a historic schools funding revolution with mums and dads in the dark about what the "Gonski" reforms mean.

His criticism came as the ALP national secretary George Wright issued a rare rebuke to the parliamentary wing over ongoing leadership instability warning it was "extremely damaging" the government.

Speaking at a function in Brisbane to discuss Troy Bramston's book of Labor speeches For the True Believers, Mr Rudd again confirmed that unnamed cabinet minsters questioned his decision to apologise to the stolen generation as "dangerous".

And he warned Labor's communications strategy was failing with many people didn't know what the word "Gonski" means when it was used as short-hand of explaining school reform. Mr Rudd said he was hugely respectful of businessman David Gonski who prepared the blueprint but it was no way to sell a policy.

"Here's a little challenge for those wearing the Gonski t-shirt, ask everyone around this table what Gonski means. So the mums and dads of Australia at this stage does not have a whole lot of detailed content,'' Mr Rudd said.

"I support the continuation for the education revolution and I am enormously respectful of David Gonski, but we have a massive communication task ahead of us to communicate what all of that involves, how does the outcome of our education system, the quality of graduates from our primary schools and secondary schools go through the roof as a consequence of that.

"If you were to give Abraham Lincoln the word Gonski and ask whether he should put it into the Gettysburg address or any other recent speech in Australia political speech making or go beyond that to conceptualise and explain to mums and dads what it all actually means, what are the building blocks how do we go from here to here, what happens by the end. Now I know some of the answers to that having studied the report so if you're looking for the passionate advocate for the education revolution you're looking at him, ok?"

The Prime Minister is yet to announce a cash deal to the states to deliver on the Gonski reforms promise to boost funding to struggling schools with Independent Tony Windsor warning time was running out. It will be thrashed out at April's Council of Australian Governments meeting with state premiers.

Meanwhile, the Labor Party's top campaign strategist George Wright also lashed Labor MPs for ongoing leadership instability warning they are "damaging'' the government and destroying their chances of winning the next election.

His warning to the parliamentary wing followed claims by ALP insiders that the Labor Party's national secretariat had been ordered by the Prime Minister's office not to conduct polling in Victoria and South Australia fearing it could be used as the spark to light a leadership battle this week.

But Mr Wright denied the claims warning the ALP's ongoing acts of leadership mischief and self harm would do the party no favours with voters.

"I think it is extremely damaging to the government,'' Mr Wright told News Limited.

"The fact that I am getting phone calls like this. None of this is about the national secretariat. None of this is about polling. I can only imagine what they are doing it for.

"My advice to MPs is: 'You've got a an election to fight in six months'."

Mr Wright rejected claims he had been ordered by the Prime Minister's office not to conduct polling or that he was keeping polling in SA and Victoria secret so it could not be leaked by the Prime Minister's enemies. However, he refused to discuss whether he had conducted polling in Victoria or SA that had confirmed big swings.

With party insiders describing the Prime Minister's leadership as a now a "day by day'' proposition, her inner circle of supporters said they could still see no clear mechanism for Mr Rudd to spark a leadership changeover because he had vowed not to challenge the Prime Minister.

For that reason the only circuit breaker was for a group of MPs to give her "the tap" and ask her to stand down. While this had been widely mooted in ALP circles Labor MPs warned if no one stepped up to do it Ms Gillard would likely survive the week and would not face another meeting of the ALP caucus until the May budget.

The Rudd camp put his numbers at somewhere between 40 and 50 significantly higher than during the February 2012 contest when his numbers went backwards during the leadership contest to lose 71:31.

Mr Rudd's warning that time was running out for the Gonski school reform was echoed by Independent Tony Windsor who urged the Prime Minister to take the axe to the baby bonus and middle class welfare.

"All I am saying to the government is: 'I am prepared to look at some hard decisions if you are prepared to back yourself in on Gonski'.''

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