School funding legislation has barely cooled from the printer and already both major parties are wooing Senate crossbenchers in bids to either pass or halt it.
The Turnbull government says its plan will pump another $18.6 billion into the nation's schools over the next decade, and move commonwealth funding to a fair, consistent, needs-based system.
Education Minister Simon Birmingham revealed the plan ahead of last week's federal budget, and legislation for it was introduced to parliament last Thursday.
He meets with state and territory education ministers on Thursday to answer their questions about the plan and what happens next with school funding.
But federal Labor education spokeswoman Tanya Plibersek expects a fiery push-back from the states.
She says the government's plan cuts $22 billion compared with what the Labor government - which lost office in 2013 - had on offer over the decade to 2027.
A big part of the cash in Labor's plan was tied to six-year agreements signed with individual states, not legislated.
"Now the federal government is saying to them 'By the way, you know that agreement we signed that gives you a lot of extra money for your schools, that agreement? We're junking it'," she told reporters in Hobart on Wednesday.
"The federal government doesn't have the right to unilaterally junk agreements ... that states and territories are relying on for proper funding for their schools."
Labor has started lobbying Senate crossbenchers to oppose the schools funding package.
Senator Birmingham has also been in touch, and says he's heartened that everyone - other than Labor - "appears to be keeping an open mind".
Asked if he was confident of winning support, he said: "I am a senator - I am never confident until the vote is actually taken, had and won.
"But I am confident that there is a really constructive level of engagement from all of the non-government parties, except the Labor party," he told reporters in Melbourne.
The Greens say they're yet to decide a position, but are generally favourable about the package although want more money in it.
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