Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to amend general business notice of motion No. 750, standing in my name today. There has been a slight amendment to paragraph (b), section (ii), deleting the words 'they want to raise the rate of indexation' and replacing it with 'they tried to raise its rate of indexation'. I would also like to add Senator Collins's name to the motion.

Leave is granted.

I amend the motion in the terms circulated in the chamber and I, and on behalf of Senator Collins, move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that, on 21 March 2018, the National Union of Students will launch a National Day of Action to protest against the Liberal Party's attempts to water down Australia's commitment to providing universal access to a world-class higher education system by cutting $2.2 billion out of university funding and making graduates' HELP debts be paid back at a greater rate and a faster pace;

(b) notes further that the Liberal Party:

  (i) thinks university is too affordable for students, which is why they want to deregulate fees,

  (ii) thinks HELP debt grows too slowly, which is why they tried to raise its rate of indexation,

  (iii) thinks graduate wages are too low to pay back debts, which is why they want to lower the threshold for when they start repaying them,

  (iv) thinks too many people are attending universities, which is why they are freezing their support for the demand-driven system, and

  (v) is too afraid to seek a mandate for these cuts, which is why they have opted to not put their billion dollar cuts to a vote from the Parliament or a vote from the public; and

(c) expresses its strong support for the National Union of Students and to those participating in the National Day of Action around the country, and encourages all students to speak up and fight back against this Liberal Government's decision to ask low income students and graduates to pay more, so that big business and multinational corporations can pay less.

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This motion is factually inaccurate. The coalition government's reforms do not propose any fee increases nor any form of fee deregulation. The motion does not mention the $55 billion of outstanding student loans nor that a quarter of new loans will never be repaid on current policy settings. It is worth noting the former Labor government's last budget in 2013-14 contained $2.9 billion of higher education savings, including an efficiency dividend.

Question agreed to.