House debates Questions without Notice
Higher Education
Amanda Rishworth Kingston, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Health
2:18 pm
Thank you, Madam Speaker. My question is to the Minister for Education. Yesterday in question time, the Prime Minister said the Commonwealth taxpayer will continue to cover 50 per cent of people's university education. But the University of Western Australia's fee schedule released yesterday shows that the Commonwealth will cover only 10 per cent for commerce students and 43 per cent for science students. Minister, isn't the Prime Minister's 50 per cent claim just another sham that will massively increase the cost of university for young Australians?
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Opposition Members:
Opposition members interjecting—
Christopher Pyne Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education
2:19 pm
It never rains but it pours!
Mr Conroy interjecting—
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
We will have some silence on my left, including the member for Charlton.
Christopher Pyne Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education
Having had very few questions from the opposition about education for 12 months, it is now a welter of questions on education! And I am very glad to get them, Madam Speaker, because the point is—
Opposition members interjecting—
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
There will be silence on my left! The member for Moreton.
Christopher Pyne Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education
that the opposition can spin their wheels as much as they like about the higher education reforms. The simple fact is, they are out of step with the rest of Australia.
Opposition members interjecting—
They are out of step with all the sensible economic commentators in the country who recognise the need for reform. For example, Paul Kelly, writing in The Weekend Australian
Opposition members interjecting—
Oh, you laugh at Paul Kelly do you? One of the most eminent journalists in Australia. Have a good old laugh; no wonder you are so out of touch with reality over there!
Ms MacTiernan interjecting—
Christopher Pyne Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education
Paul Kelly, writing in The Weekend Australian—
Opposition members interjecting—
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The minister will resume his seat. The Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order.
Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance
Madam Speaker, to be directly relevant the minister needs to refer to the 50 per cent claim made by the Prime Minister.
Christopher Pyne Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education
Madam Speaker, before I quote from Paul Kelly I will answer that specific question, since I am perfectly happy to do so. The Labor Party can fabricate figures as much as they like—
Opposition members interjecting—
and they can make up quotations as much they like. They can pick out and parse—
Mr Dreyfus interjecting—
Christopher Pyne Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education
sentences and tables. The reality is, our reforms will mean that that students will be required to pay 50 per cent of the cost of their education, across the university sector, and they are currently on average paying 40 per cent.
Opposition members interjecting—
They are currently paying 40 per cent of the cost of their education. That is what the student cohort is paying. And they are getting the lowest unemployment rates of anybody in our community, long life expectancy, better health outcomes—and they will earn 75 per cent more, on average—
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport
What's the percentage?
Christopher Pyne Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education
than people who did not go to university. And more than 60 per cent of Australians do not have a university degree. So rather than complaining about being asked to pay 50 per cent of the cost of their education rather than 40 per cent, they should actually be buying a bunch of flowers and knocking on the door of a neighbour who does not have a university degree and saying: 'Thank you for paying 50 per cent of the cost of my education.'
Ms Owens interjecting—
Christopher Pyne Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education
That is what they should be doing. Because they are going to get a much better opportunity in life than those people who do not get the chance to go to university. Now, returning to Paul Kelly—who those over that side of the House think is an absolute riot, but most of us see him as a very serious person; I certainly do—
Opposition members interjecting—
Christopher Pyne Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education
He was quoting Mike Gallagher, the executive director of the Group of Eight. Mike Gallagher says: 'It is outrageous that the Labor Party have washed their hands of responsibility for the mess they created'—the mess you on that side created—that we are prepared to fix up, because we are an adult, responsible government getting on with the job—methodically, calmly and carefully—of fixing this country after the six years—the six Rip Van Winkle years—of the Labor government.
Opposition members interjecting—
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
There will be silence on my left.
Ms Macklin interjecting—
That includes the member for Jagajaga. I call the honourable member for Mitchell.