Amanda Rishworth (Kingston, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Health) Share this | Hansard source

I can only hope that we are in government soon—before you can get your disastrous policy through—because, if you continue to pursue this unfair policy, then in Australia we will see many students worse off and many students not pursuing higher education.

The member for Sturt and, indeed, the new minister, continue to profess that they have the support of the universities. The universities do not support their unfair plan. Indeed, Universities Australia have said that it is time to go back to the drawing board to look for a sustainable funding model—and that is exactly what Labor has put up. So I am pleased that the member for Cowper is going to make a contribution, his first contribution, on higher education. I absolutely look forward to that. I hope he will say, 'I have learnt the lessons of the previous minister, the member for Sturt. Me and my minister in the other place will not demon dial crossbench senators and continue to pursue them, and pursue them ruthlessly, to support our unfair policy. I will not spend $15 million—

Mr Hartsuyker interjecting—

You might think it is funny to spend $15 million of taxpayers' money on a piece of legislation that has not passed the House. We on this side of the House do not think it is funny. We do not think it is funny that you waste taxpayers' money on a dud piece of legislation—legislation that was never promised before the last election and that was foisted onto the Australian people. No, we do not support that—and we will talk about it. We have a positive plan.

I am very pleased that this next election will be a clear choice between the Labor Party—the party that stands for higher education; the party that stands for accessible higher education and quality higher education that will lead to a job at the end of it—and the other side of the House that does not stand for accessible education, that wants to foist $100,000 degrees on students, that wants to make a 20 per cent cut to university funding to ensure that universities have no choice but to increase their fees and that does not believe that access and equity should be a core part of their higher education policy. Unfortunately, those on the other side will not heed the concerns of the Australian people; they will not listen to the concerns of the Australian people. Well, it is time they started.

I offer a hand of friendship to the new minister and to the member for Cowper. They may be struggling for a policy, because what they have announced is a delay to their unfair dud of a policy. Perhaps if they are looking for a policy then, as we have a comprehensive policy—one that has been costed, one that delivers quality, accessibility and that supports student completion—I do not mind if they want to take that policy. I am happy for them to take that policy and ditch their old one. We will welcome that.

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