Terri Butler (Griffith, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Mr Deputy Speaker, I thank you and of course I will be careful, other than when I am quoting an article, which of course will require me to quote it properly. But let me tell you about this article, because I know you are going to love it. It is written by 'the Backburner'. I know that we are all gutted to hear that the Backburner will not be continuing. It is called, 'Birmingham Dismisses Student Protest As "Happening Since We Started Eroding Their Future"'. You could of course mistake this for a factual article. It is parody but it is hard to tell that it is parody, because in fact the minister has been out there eroding the future of working Australians and middle-class Australians by launching an assault on higher education. So I ask that the minister answer this place and the people of Australia: how is it fair to increase university fees; how is it fair to cut public funding to universities; how is it fair to lower the threshold for repayment of contributions down to $42,000; and what does the minister expect this will do for the economy and our society?

Mr Frydenberg interjecting—

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