O'Farrell "Liberal in name only" Janet Albrechtsen says NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell made a craven deal in signing up to Julia Gillard's unfunded Gonski plan: After last week, O'Farrell is a Liberal in name only. By grabbing the Gillard government's offer to pump $3.3bn into the state education system, O'Farrell chose the easy option, pretending extra money equalled reform. This has long been the position of the teachers unions. Ignoring clear evidence about what is needed in the classroom, teachers unions have denounced merit-based pay for good teachers, the ability of principals to hire and fire teachers, and sound curriculum reform. They have even demonised a phonics system of teaching children to read as a wicked conservative agenda.