House debates Questions without Notice
Education
Clare O'Neil Hotham, Australian Labor Party
2:57 pm
Madam Speaker, my question is to the Minister for Education. Last year the minister said the government was not considering university fee increases:
… because we promised that we wouldn’t and Tony Abbott made it very clear before the election that we would keep our promises.
Now that the government is doubling university fees, isn't it clear that the only thing this government is committed to is breaking its promises?
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Opposition Members:
Opposition members interjecting—
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
I call the honourable Minister for Education and we will have some silence so we can hear the answer.
Christopher Pyne Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education
I thank the member for Hotham for her question because it gives me the opportunity to explain to her, as a new member to the House, that the government are not increasing fees at universities and we are keeping all of our promises. We said we would not reintroduce the cap. In fact, under the government's microeconomic reform, we are removing the cap on the sub-bachelor places. So all of the diplomas and the associate degrees that are used by many, many first generation university goers and low socioeconomic status students to get into the undergraduate pathway, we are lifting the cap on those sub-bachelor courses to expand the demand driven system. This is something I would have thought the member for Hotham would support, but in fact she is shaking her head.
Ms O'Neil interjecting—
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The member for Hotham has asked her question!
Christopher Pyne Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education
We want to expand opportunity to 80,000 more Australians to get a higher education qualification and all the private benefits that come with that.
Christopher Pyne Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education
Seventy-five per cent higher incomes on average—
Christopher Pyne Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education
over a lifetime, longer life expectancy, better health outcomes—
Tim Watts Gellibrand, Australian Labor Party
Are they paid more? Yes or no?
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The member for Gellibrand will desist or leave—the choice is his!
Christopher Pyne Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education
lower unemployment: these are the kinds of opportunities that we want to expand by increasing the demand driven system.
In terms of fees, the government are not increasing fees at the undergraduate or the university level. What we are doing, in a very important reform, is deregulating the university sector so that universities can be their best selves, so they can produce the best research in the world—
Ms King interjecting—
Christopher Pyne Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education
so that we can have a higher education system that is the best in the world with some of the best universities in the world. I would say to the member for Hotham, 'Don't just ask me, ask the university sector.' The Regional Universities Network, coupling with the G8 universities, said this recently:
The Regional Universities Network (RUN) and Group of Eight (Go8) urge the Senate to pass the Government’s Higher Education and Research Reform Amendment Bill 2014 with changes to make it fairer for students and universities.
… … …
… RUN supports deregulation of student fees.
Ms Ryan interjecting—
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The member for Lalor is not in her seat and may no interject.
Christopher Pyne Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education
The Labor Party have found themselves in a cul-de-sac of opposition to every measure the government is bringing about.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The member for Rankin is warned. He will desist or leave.
Christopher Pyne Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education
They find themselves irrelevant to the debate. They have played the Greens, the Palmer United Party and the crossbenchers into the debate in the Senate. We are happy to work with anyone to bring about reform that will improve Australia. It is just sad that the Labor Party is not the once great Labor Party of the Hawke-Keating era or the Curtin-Chifley era. It is now led by the Lilliputians like the current Leader of the Opposition who just do not understand that sometimes you have to get into the conservation to be a part of a great reform.