PRIME Minister Julia Gillard has answered questions on superannuation, gay marriage and school funding during a town hall-style forum in Nunawading.

After Tony Abbott fronted voters in the seat of Corangamite last week, the PM conversed directly with residents in the nation’s second most marginal electorate of Deakin in the forum hosted by the Herald Sun and Sky News.

About 100 people selected by Galaxy Resarch put questions to Ms Gillard at the Burvale Hotel in Nunawading.

Education was prominent in the discussion as the PM scrambles for state and territory leaders to sign up to her schools funding deal.

University student Kevin questioned Ms Gillard on the $2.3 billion in university funding cuts to bankroll the Gonski school education reforms.

See a replay of our live chat with Mitchell Toy below

Ms Gillard said the government had boosted university funding by 50 per cent since winning office.

``Funding will still go up, it just won't go up as sharply,'' she said.

``I want more kids to go to university, I want more kids to have apprenticeships.'' When quizzed on when the budget would return to surplus, Ms Gillard said there was less revenue flowing into government coffers now per unit of gross domestic product than during the 1990s.

``We are taking a very tough approach with spending,'' she said.

The Prime Minister also took questions on the national broadband network, marriage equality and superannuation.

She also vowed to look at superannuation for foster carers, suggested by one member of the audience.

Ms Gillard also repeated calls for a conscience vote across parliament on gay marriage but insisted she personally opposed the idea.

The seat of Deakin is held by Labor’s Mike Symon and is the second most marginal seat in the country.

At last Thursday's People's Forum in Corangamite, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said a Coalition government would "do some things that will hurt" to repair the Budget, such as scrapping the SchoolKids Bonus and axing spending linked to the carbon and mining taxes.

Treasurer Wayne Swan revealed the Budget had suffered another $7.5 billion "sledgehammer to revenues", but said it would be a tragic mistake to make "savage cuts".

The Government released figures to the Herald Sun showing a typical family in Ringwood, in the heart of Deakin, would lose $2224 a year under Mr Abbott.

A Ringwood family earning $103,000 with an eight-year-old and 14-year-old and both parents working, would lose $1230 from the SchoolKids Bonus, $504 in tax cuts from changes to the tax-free threshold, $73 clean energy payments and $417 from reversing a superannuation tax cut for low-income earners.

The Government said that across Deakin about 6000 families with 10,600 children would lose the SchoolKids Bonus, 8600 families and 21,900 pensioners would have their carbon tax compensation removed and 19,100 low-income workers would lose up to $500 in super tax cuts.

About 47,000 people in the seat would pay more income tax and 18,200 small business owners would lose a $6500 instant asset write-off.

In Corangamite, the typical family, earning about $100,000, would lose $2264, according to the Government.

phillip.hudson@news.com.au

Originally published as PM spruiks schools funding at forum