A productive and innovative economy would be greatly boosted by maximising the talents of every child through an excellent education.

Since Dr Peter Hendy is the current representative for this mainly rural area, he should realise what a huge difference funding would make for the many regional schools in his electorate that do not meet the minimum resource standard.

The full Gonski is an investment that Australia cannot afford not to make.

We’ll either pay now for an investment in the future, or we (and our children) will pay later in the costs of picking up the damage bill from not investing now - higher unemployment, crime rates, domestic violence, health care expenses and a poorer society socially and economically.

To quote Nelson Mandela, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

I trust that Dr Hendy will use his new position of power responsibly to represent all of his constituents, even those whose children would qualify for the extra Gonski funding because they are poor, Indigenous, migrants, disabled or living in a rural area.

I hope Dr Hendy will convey this message to the new federal education minister, Simon Birmingham.

Every government that doesn’t take responsibility for fair funding for all children’s futures is not capitalising on our most precious resource.

I think Dr Hendy will find this issue, along with climate change action, to be of utmost importance in the next election.

Jesse Rowan

Malua Bay