Brett Mason (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Education and School Curriculum Standards) Share this | Hansard source

Subject to the amendment that I will be moving shortly on behalf of the opposition, the opposition agrees with the government amendments. We are rapidly approaching point zero in this debate. After months and months of debating this issue, it comes down to this: the government, quite rightly, and Professor Bradley in her report of late last year, quite rightly, point to increasing access for young Australians to university as being a key challenge for this country. The opposition accept that; we accept what Professor Bradley said. Professor Bradley is quite right to say that Indigenous kids suffer disadvantage—she is right. And she is quite right that kids from low-socioeconomic backgrounds suffer disadvantage—we accept that; the government and Professor Bradley were right to say that.

But the government has never really understood this: rural and regional kids also suffer distinct disadvantage in entering higher education. That is perhaps the absolute crux of the debate: to us the government has not sufficiently understood that rural kids face an extra challenge going to university. That is why, Minister, this is no pantomime. We are desperately concerned that more kids from rural sectors get to university. As you and I have discussed, both here and elsewhere, we both know—and I know Ms Gillard knows this—that fewer and fewer kids are coming from rural areas to university. That is bad not just for rural kids but for our country. That is why for months we have been negotiating this.

Over the next 10 or so years, because of these negotiations, the coalition has secured hundreds of millions of dollars for rural kids. It is not perfect—I accept that. Senator Fielding is right: there are anomalies. And Senator Macdonald is right: it is not perfect; there are anomalies. When you draw a line on a map, you are dead right—that is what is going to happen. But this is the best deal we could muster, and I am proud of it. It is not perfect, but we have secured hundreds of millions of dollars extra for rural kids over the next decade—and, I hope, access for all Australians: rural, regional, Aboriginal and those from low-socioeconomic backgrounds. I hope all of them have greater access. The coalition has done its best, despite some of the cynicism in the Senate today, to secure more for regional kids. I accept it is not perfect, but by God it is a hell of a lot better than it was six months ago.