Lee Rhiannon (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes That the Abbott Government has allocated $14.6 million in public funding to advertise its failed higher education changes; and

(b) calls on the Abbott Government to:

(i) direct the Federal Liberal Party to return the $14.6 million of public money allocated to its higher education advertising campaign, and

(ii) shut down its publicly funded highered.gov.au site, which was designed to advertise the failed changes.

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I seek leave to make a short statement.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This motion is an example of the Greens' hypocrisy. The previous government, which the Greens supported, spent $500 million on advertising from 2017 to 2013, including $20 million on the Gonski campaign alone before it was legislated. The government has conducted extensive market research which showed that many students and parents thought HECS was being abolished and students would have to pay fees up-front. It is crucial that prospective students know that HECS will remain and they will not have to pay a cent up-front or pay anything until they earn over $50,000 a year. This is a crucial message of the information campaign on higher education. Meanwhile, both Labor and the Greens are still operating websites which contain false and absurd claims about fees. This is the height of dishonesty and irresponsibility. It is all about politics. It is nothing to do with students or the quality of university education.

Question agreed to.