Statement - Misleading Letter To Catholic School Parents

Zoe Daniel MP

I am dismayed by the misleading letter circulated to families in Goldstein by Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS), which wrongly suggests that I do not support funding for Catholic schools.

Let me be clear: I support the current funding arrangements for Catholic education. Catholic schools play a vital role in our education system, including here in Goldstein, where they serve thousands of students and families.

What I have not done—and will not do—is make a commitment amid an election campaign to further increases without proper scrutiny, consultation, and a transparent, evidence-based process. That’s not a rejection of Catholic education. It’s responsible governance.

Catholic schools and communities are proudly diverse and inclusive - home to people of all political persuasions.

Families deserve facts. And they deserve school communications that reflect care for students, not partisan campaigning.

As previously indicated to the Catholic education sector, I support federal funding for all school sectors across Australia; this stands whether a school is government, independent, or Catholic. My office has met constructively with representatives from the Victorian Catholic Education Authority, and I remain committed to working with all school sectors to ensure a fair and sustainable future for every student.

Zoe Daniel MP
Independent Member for Goldstein

ENDS

Angela Pippos - 0417 298 742

Email - [email protected]