Newman to talk down Gonski to states QUEENSLAND Premier Campbell Newman says Prime Minister Julia Gillard could have reached a deal on the Gonski education reforms, but she pushed the states away. Mr Newman and all other premiers didn't sign up to the $14.5 billion, six-year education funding boost at Friday's Council of Australian Governments meeting. He criticised the prime minister's take-it-or-leave-it approach. "With the greatest respect, the prime minister could have had an agreement on Friday," he said. In my view because she is refusing to properly negotiate, she actually pushed people away. I know there were other states that were probably prepared to come to agreement on Friday, but the prime minister pushed them away. Mr Newman says he would sign up, and hand over the state's $1.3 billion share, if the program didn't rip money out of universities or create another layer of bureaucracy. Mr Newman said he's going to work hard to reach an agreement with Ms Gillard, but in the same breath said he'd talk down the current deal to principals and teachers. "I stress the prime minister is refusing to budge on the creation of a great big, new education bureaucracy and a whole lot of very onus of bureaucratic requirements on schools," he said. They are unacceptable and I know when teachers and principals know what Julia Gillard wants them to do, that they will not be as keen on the whole matter unless that is sorted out. The state and federal governments will try to reach a deal on the Gonski reforms by June 30.