Tony Abbott, April 21:

“In the absence of anything which is clearly dramatically, and affordably dramatically better, I think we are better fine-tuning the existing system.”

Christopher Pyne, May 20:

”I think he [NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell] has been conned. I think NSW has signed up to a very bad deal … Now that they have the opportunity to see the budget in all its black and whitedness [sic], it’s quite clear that the government is cutting education for the next four years.”

Pyne, May 22:

“But if NSW and the three Labor states are the only ones that have signed on we will certainly not be having … a student resource standard model for four states and a socio-economic status model for the other four states.”

Pyne, July 3:

“There is more chaos, and more confusion, from a Labor government that is reeling from constant change and uncertainty.”

Pyne, July 25:

“Operating six different bilateral funding models is unworkable for any government in the long term, so we will work with the states and sector over 12 months to come up with a realistic and affordable alternative.”

Abbott, this morning:

“As far as school funding is concerned, Kevin Rudd and I are on a unity ticket. There is no difference between Kevin Rudd and myself when it comes to school funding.”

Crikey Calling is independent media for independent minds – in handy podcast form! Join the Crikey crew – including Canberra correspondent Bernard Keane, the country’s sharpest political commentator – for a lively (if somewhat wonky) look behind the scenes of politics and power in Australia.

With the whiff of an election getting ever stronger, the podcast crew brings you everything you ever wanted to know about who’s likely to win on polling day, Senators who might be on the way out, and what the election issues will be. And don’t miss Keane’s plea to scrap compulsory voting. Stream it or download here.