Dio Wang (WA, Palmer United Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I, and also on behalf of Senator Day and Senator Leyonhjelm, move:

That the Senate notes that:

(a) public universities currently do not sufficiently compete with one another to lower fees for domestic undergraduate students, instead, they routinely charge the maximum amount allowed by the current government, thus rewarding inefficiency and keeping tuition artificially high for students;

(b) competition brings down tuition fees for students, for example, government funding would allow private not for profit colleges, such as Sheridan College in Perth, to deliver current and future courses without a charge to students, and many other private colleges and universities would also reduce fees;

(c) students would have the choice to earn an undergraduate degree without incurring a crushing debt burden;

(d) the Government would be under no obligation to provide capital grants, such as land, building, equipment etc. to such colleges;

(e) extending funding to private colleges and private universities would both benefit students and save government money; and

(f) a proposal to extend the Commonwealth Grants Scheme (CGS) to not for profit private colleges and universities should be considered irrespective of the rest of the Government's higher education deregulation agenda, as funding private not for profit colleges, such as Sheridan College, levels the playing field leading to the possibility of free education for Australian students.

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This motion is in a number of respects factually incorrect and misunderstands the nature of the education system. Nowhere, either in Australia or in any other country, has competition in the field of education led to lower prices. In fact, the opposite is the case. The privatisation and deregulation of child care, school education and, most recently, vocational education and training has led to higher costs for students and their families in every instance. There is no reason to think that privatisation of the university system would be any different. Australia has a strong, sustainable and diverse university system, and there is no case to undermine it. Labor does not support this motion.

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that general business notice of motion No. 745 be agreed to.