Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Education. I refer to the minister's statements this morning about his unfair university changes where he said, 'If you want an example of fees, the University of Western Australia has announced their fee structure.' The Australian newspaper has confirmed that fees for medical students at the University of Western Australia will increase to more than $100,000. Will the minister finally give up his government's lie and admit that $100,000 degrees will be a reality under his unfair changes?

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for her question. I would point out to her that the University of Western Australia does not offer undergraduate medical degrees—so she might want to check her facts. It does give me the opportunity to continue to prosecute the case for the government's higher education reforms. I know you are embarrassed about getting your facts wrong.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If the Deputy Leader of the Opposition is going to raise a point of order she may not enter argument.

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is not a point of order, Madam Speaker. I would like to table—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Then you will resume your seat. That is the only reason you could rise.

Ms Plibersek interjecting—

Resume your seat. The minister is in the middle of his answer. You cannot do it in the middle.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would point out to the House that postgraduate degrees have always been deregulated in this country, or at least they have been deregulated for many years. Therefore, in the university sector right now we have deregulated postgraduate degrees, we have deregulated international students being offered full-fee places, and undergraduate degrees have a market on one side of the mechanism, which is the demand driven system, but no price point in the market. That is why the system cannot work without a price point. If the Labor Party understood markets, they would know that on one side of the market is the offer, which is the service in this case, and on the other side there needs to a price point for the market to operate. That is what the government is proposing to do.

But let me quote from someone who has not always been a great friend of the coalition. In fact, Glyn Davis, the vice-chancellor of Australia's highest ranking university, Melbourne University, was a close confidant of former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. I am not sure which side the deputy leader of the Labor Party was on. She was on both sides of the Rudd-Gillard divide. Nevertheless, he writes in The Australiantoday:

… without major tax increases, or diversion of public funds from other sectors, the current system is not sustainable.

In other words, without the government's reform, without the opportunity to get new revenue into the system, there is no possibility for universities to be world class in the future. Labor ripped out $6.6 billion from higher education to cut costs. They gave universities no opportunity to replace that revenue. As Glyn Davis says, 'Unless the Labor Party is proposing to increase taxes or pay for universities through ripping services away from other areas of the economy, then the university sector is not sustainable in the short, medium or long term.' Therefore, the government has a reform agenda, unlike Labor that has absolutely no agenda. We believe in it and we will continue to prosecute it. I will continue to work with the crossbenchers to bring about change. I only wish that Labor and the Greens would want to be part of the national conversation rather than simply play politics with every measure.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Before I call the member for O'Connor, I note that our roof is leaking. I realise that leaking is a familiar problem for political parties. However, I think we may need a bucket! Thank you, Luch. Now you can see why this building is in need of repair. I call the honourable member for O'Connor.