Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am happy to support the Higher Education Support Amendment (FEE-HELP Loan Fee) Bill 2010. Higher education is absolutely integral to the Gillard government’s vision for A Stronger, Fairer Australia. It drives economic development, productivity and high-skill jobs. I am pleased to have a number of important higher education institutions in my electorate, including the University of Queensland Ipswich campus, the University of Southern Queensland, as well as Bremer TAFE. Prior to the last redistribution, I had the University of Queensland Gatton campus in my electorate. Higher education is important in my seat. It is a driver of employment.

It is particularly important in view of the answer that the federal Minister for Health and Ageing gave in federal parliament not less than a couple of hours ago when she talked about what the University of Queensland is doing with the superclinic at the Ipswich campus. That particular campus sees doctors, nurses and physicians’ assistants trained, educated, qualified and operating in the Ipswich and West Moreton region. It is a particularly important campus.

This legislation increases the amount of FEE-HELP loan fee for units of study undertaken as part of the undergraduate courses. It is following up the recommendations of the review of Australian higher education, the Bradley review. This bill seeks to increase the amount of FEE-HELP debt from 120 per cent to 125 per cent of the loan amount for units of study undertaken as part of an undergraduate course of study. The increased loan fee will apply to FEE-HELP debts incurred on or after 1 January 2011.

The Bradley review recommended this legislative change to reflect a greater cost to government because governments effectively subsidise higher education. Many people do not ever pay back the debt owed to the government, sometimes because they pass away and sometimes because their income has never quite reached that height. This will not act as a disincentive to people going to higher education institutions, particularly universities. The criticisms in relation to this are misplaced when I look at the some of things that have been said about this particular bill. The increased loan fee will not significantly affect students at public universities in my electorate, at USQ or at UQ Ipswich campus. The USQ campus is at Springfield. The government has prohibited fee-paying undergraduate places and introduced a demand driven funding scheme, which means that from 2012 the Gillard government will fund a Commonwealth supported place for every student accepted into an eligible course of study at a public university, including USQ at Springfield and UQ at Ipswich.

Whether it is universities or TAFE courses and TAFE institutions, these things make a big difference in the lives of working-class boys and girls and young men and young women in my electorate. And while I am on my feet I want to particularly pay tribute to the Bremer TAFE, which is an important tertiary institution in my electorate. I particularly thank the assistance given to me by the acting institute director, Michael Thomas, and facilities manager, Brad Fisher. Recently I had the pleasure of representing the minister, Senator Chris Evans, in relation to opening the Better TAFE Facilities recognition ceremony for the $2 million we put into the Bremer TAFE. This $2 million has made a big difference to my constituents in the electorate of Blair, particularly in terms of what they have done. They have made a massive difference to campus. I will be speaking about that later, in a speech either today or tomorrow. That is just a way in which the Gillard government is making a difference in the lives of people in my electorate, contributing valuable investment to make a difference to the kinds of facilities that are available, particularly in the trades, particularly in computers and graphic design, particularly in metal fabrication, and also in the upgrading of equipment and workstations. These things make a huge difference in the lives of people, and not just the administration. Providing air-conditioning to learning spaces in institutions is a practical way which makes a difference in the lives of people who attend those institutions.

This legislation will not prohibit young people or mature-age students attending university. It is in line with the recommendations. Since 1989, undergraduate students have been required to pay a contribution towards the cost of their courses under what was then known as the Higher Education Contribution Scheme. This is the way we have done things for quite some time, but we need to make sure the system is viable. We need to make sure that investments in great institutions in my electorate, such as USQ at Springfield, UQ at Ipswich and Bremer TAFE at Bundamba, can continue and this sector and be viable for the electors of Blair.

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