Queensland's last chance for education deal approaches Queensland education minister John-Paul Langbroek accused federal Labor of not offering his state the same incentives to sign up for Better Schools as it offered Victoria. The federal government is running out of time to lock in a school funding deal with Queensland ahead of the election, as last-minute demands and counter-demands fly thick and fast. Ministers are racing to settle an agreement ahead of caretaker mode beginning on Monday afternoon, after Victoria's Coalition government agreed to sign up to the federal reforms on Sunday. But a breakthrough appeared to be remote, with federal Education Minister Bill Shorten declaring Queensland's apparent willingness to embrace the reforms as "a hoax" and Queensland minister John-Paul Langbroek demanding more details of Victoria's deal. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd did not sound positive about the prospects of signing a deal by the 5.30pm deadline, saying as a proud Queenslander he ""would have loved"" to reach agreement with his home state. At a media conference in Canberra he said Queensland was about $2.5 billion short of the total funding, including indexation, it would need to contribute over six years. Mr Rudd invoked the controversial former Queensland premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen by saying Mr Newman had an ""almost Joh-like fear that the federal government is going to come and control every Queensland school"." He said if the federal government was re-elected it would negotiate with the remaining hold-out states of Western Australia and Queensland to try to reach agreement. Nonetheless, it is understood talks have been continuing with Queensland on Monday afternoon. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd visited Governor-General Quentin Bryce on Sunday to set September 7 as the election day, but the official writs were not issued immediately. The government says caretaker conventions - which would prevent further school funding deals - begin on Monday night. Mr Shorten wrote to Mr Langbroek on Sunday night seeking assurances on key elements of a deal in time for the last federal cabinet meeting on Monday at midday. This should include a commitment to increasing funding "on terms comparable to Victoria." The letter said Queensland should agree to increase annual funding per student by at least 3 per cent per student from 2014 to 2015 and in subsequent years. Victoria had been allowed a later start to the indexation arrangements. Federal sources said this aspect was similarly negotiable for Queensland. In a letter of reply to Mr Shorten, sent just after midday on Monday, Mr Langbroek said Queensland had not been afforded the same conditions as Victoria in what appeared to be a "political decision." "Either Queensland was simply not deemed a priority, or worse, Queensland's exclusion is part of the government's plan for electioneering in the lead up to the federal election," he said. Mr Langbroek said Queensland shared many of Victoria's concerns so was willing to sign up straight away""as long as we get exactly the same deal." Mr Langbroek demanded a letter outlining the full conditions that had been afforded to Victoria and details of the commitment to amend the "rushed and overly bureaucratic" Gonski legislation. Mr Langbroek's letter was silent on the details of funding on the table. Mr Shorten said the Commonwealth was offering $2.48 billion in additional funding over six years for Queensland schools so long as the Queensland government also contributed $1.35 billion. He said the sticking point was Queensland's reluctance to pay its share. "They're yanking your chain," Mr Shorten told listeners of ABC Radio Brisbane on Monday. To have these guys front up and say 'Yeah we're ready to sign, we've got our pen' - it's just a hoax. The school funding reforms - designed to distribute money to schools based on need - were championed by former prime minister Julia Gillard but continued by Mr Rudd. The federal government has struck deals with NSW, Victoria, South Australia, the ACT and Tasmania and won qualified support from the non-government school sector. Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory are the only remaining jurisdictions yet to sign up. The Gonski reforms, rebranded as the Better Schools plan, would deliver an extra $15 billion in combined money over six years. Opposition Leader Tony Abbott, who has previously denied the funding system was broken and criticised the government over its handling of the reforms, sought on Friday to neutralise it as an election issue. He vowed to honour any deals and keep the same federal funding over the coming four years. Education unions and the government say the majority of extra funding is due in the later years of the six-year plan, so the full impact of the reforms is uncertain under the Coalition.