Warren Snowdon (Lingiari, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern Australia and Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I realise that my extensive discussion on the Higher Education Legislation Amendment (2006 Budget and Other Measures) Bill 2006 this afternoon will last only about 90 seconds. However, given the nature of this legislation, I want to remind the House of a question which was asked of the Prime Minister on 14 October 1999. The member for Grey asked the Prime Minister:

... does the government stand by its commitments in the area of higher education made at the time of the release of the West report into higher education and at the last election?

The Prime Minister’s response was:

There will be no $100,000 university fees under this government. That is a figment of the Labor Party’s propaganda machine, and everyone knows that is what it is.

That figment is now a reality. It is a reality that the Howard government has burdened the Australian people with. There are now more than 100 degree courses in Australia with costs in excess of $100,000. Do the Prime Minister and the government really think that average Australians can afford such a degree? What has happened, and this legislation demonstrates it, is that this government has sold out on higher education—sold out the interests of young Australians, the interests of the Australian community and the wealth of the nation.

Debate interrupted.

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