Alannah Mactiernan (Perth, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I have a couple of questions I would like to ask the minister. It is about the funding cuts to the subsidies for different programs. I must say that I was quite stunned to see the extent of the cuts of the subsidy for both engineering and science. Both of these undergraduate courses have now sustained cuts of 28 per cent. That seems to be very peculiar position to adopt a time when I think we would all acknowledge that we need to really ramp up the skills that we have in the nation in engineering and in science. If we are to be a successful nation into the future we are really going to need to skill up in those particular areas. Could you tell us just what your thinking was and what you think the impact might be on these very, very significant cuts to those particular disciplines—bearing in mind that I think you would understand, Minister, that science graduates do not necessarily generate massive income. It is not as if we are going to be seeing enormous earning potential. Indeed, with the 457 visas, even Australian engineering graduates are having trouble earning a decent living these days. I am really concerned about that. I would like you to address what you think and what impact you believe this will have on people electing to go into those areas and indeed the provision of those courses by universities.

You were talking of the work you have done to increase the midcareer opportunities for graduates. Could you give us more explanation why then you have so extensively ramped up the cost of the PhD and master's by research? We have seen a cut to that area of $173 million. I understand that this now equates to a very, very significant increases in costs to those PhD students. Okay, we have put a little bit of money into the midcareer, but what I am concerned about is that we have really made it much more challenging for people to come in and do undergraduate degrees in science and engineering and then at that next level—those that want to go on to masters and doctorates—are now seeing their fees act increased substantially. That is obviously going to be a disincentive and disabler for those people who are not independently wealthy, like so many of the minister's colleagues, apparently. I would ask that you would address those two issues.

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