The carry-ons of Canberra are a world away from the south-west - and given the disregard shown to the needs of voters here by the federal Coalition government perhaps Canberra is further away than it may appear.

The sitting member for Wannon Dan Tehan has risen to be a Cabinet Minister over the dramatic and disastrous term of the Coalition government. As Education Minister, he was tasked to deliver a re-designed school funding system faintly based on the recommendations of the Gonski Review of School Funding delivered in 2012. 

"Faintly" is pertinent here because the Coalition government commissioned David Gonski to do a review of his own review in 2017 and the resultant muddle has blurred the resultant needs-based school funding system known as Gonski 2.0. 

Worse, both federal and state governments have bowed to the formidable force of the Catholic education system and so skewed re-designed funding models beyond the ken of the average mortal voter.

What is clear is that the Coalition's "choice" agenda in school funding has resulted in grotesque outcomes that leave most public schools receiving under what they are entitled to on the basis of their enrolments while some fee-paying private schools continue to rake in more than their fair share. 

Mr Tehan's work as Education Minister must be well regarded by his Cabinet colleagues as they head for the door. The issue has been neutralised for now and expensive and controversial fixes avoided. He did as he was asked by his party and he did what was politically expedient. 

Only time will tell if his legacy is helpful or harmful. The ultimate test will be if student outcomes improve over the years to come and that they have been properly readied for a very different workplace of the future. 

A more visible and immediate test could be if the parents of Wannon talk to their children's schools about funding before casting their votes on May 18.