Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

I seek leave to move a motion against the Prime Minister.

Leave not granted.

So much for enthusiasm to debate parliamentary issues. I move:

That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the Member for Maribyrnong from moving the following motion forthwith—That the House:

(1) condemns the Prime Minister for his plans to:

(a) force Australian students to pay $100,000 for university degrees;

(b) saddle Australian students with a debt sentence;

(c) force young Australians to choose between owning a home and getting a degree;

(d) force Australians to choose between starting a family and getting a degree; and

(e) stop older Australians from developing new skills in a changing economy;

(2) condemns the Prime Minister for:

(a) saying one thing on higher education before the election and doing the opposite after;

(b) his failure to listen to the Australian people who have comprehensively rejected the Prime Minister’s plans for $100,000 university degrees; and

(c) his failure to listen to the Senate which voted against the Prime Minister’s $100,000 degree proposal only last night; and

(3) calls on the Prime Minister to immediately bring the Higher Education and Research Reform Bill on for debate, if the Government is determined to introduce the bill, so that this Parliament can again comprehensively reject the Prime Minister’s plans for $100,000 degrees.

Labor will not support higher fees, bigger debt, decreased access and greater inequality. We want the Liberal Party to stick by its promise that they will—

See this speech in context