Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

They should do the right thing. And members from the Liberal Party should do the right thing as well, because they know how important it is to provide services on their campuses and they know that this legislation is balanced, sensible and practical. That is what it is. It is important legislation, and they should support it. If they want students in places like Townsville, Cairns, Rockhampton, Toowoomba and Ipswich to have access to information, health advice and legal advice, physiotherapy, and sporting and recreational facilities—if they are concerned about making sure students are fit and healthy in completing their university courses—and have access to cultural, drama and theatre and other groups that are important to university life, then they should support this bill. Students also need access to independent, democratic student representation. They need access to the kind of assistance that will help them.

This legislation will allow universities to choose to implement a compulsory student services and amenities fee capped at $250 per student per annum, indexed annually. That is not a large amount but it is an amount that will make a big difference. It will help to fund student services and amenities, including those in regional areas of Queensland.

I look forward to hearing the contributions of members on the opposition benches who represent those regional and rural areas, particularly in Queensland, just what they have to say about such services in their areas, and seeing whether they have the fortitude and the faith, and the commitment to their communities, to support this legislation. I look forward to the National Party having the integrity and the guts to stand up for students in rural and regional areas, particularly in Queensland, Western Australia and New South Wales, and do the right thing by helping those students get through university.

Let us make sure that on a bipartisan basis we can provide a sustainable, robust solution to addressing the ongoing cost difficulties with student services, amenities and representation. That will come if this legislation passes the House and the Senate. It will not come if those opposite continue to pursue the battles of the fifties, sixties, seventies and eighties.

See this speech in context