Alan Tudge (Aston, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

Let me make this very clear to the Labor Party: the first point is that next year the policy which governs the fees that are set by the university will be exactly the same as they are this year. We have made that clear, but, even if full deregulation went ahead next year according to the previous plan that we had on the table, we still would not have $100,000 degrees. How do I know this? Why am I so certain about this fact? The reason I know this is that the universities themselves have said what their fees would be in a deregulated environment. In a deregulated environment, they would set the fees and they have told us what the fees would be. For example, you can ask Vicki Thomson, who is the head of the Australian Technology Network which represents five universities. She said, in this article, 'Don't be fooled by $100,000 degrees':

Let me repeat what has been said a million times: the university sector is not looking to introduce standard $100,000 degrees and deregulation won't deliver them.

Those who have brainwashed some journalists and independent senators

and the Labor Party—

to accept that we plan to do just that deserve to be shot down.

It is not only wrong, it is shameful for the fear such myths are creating in the community.

That is what Vicki Thomson, the head of the Australian Technology Network, representing five universities, has said.

If you do not listen to her, then perhaps you could listen to what the Group of Eight universities have said. If any university were going to put up their fees by the most, it would be the Group of Eight that would do it. They are sometimes called 'the sandstone universities'—universities like Melbourne, Monash, ANU or Sydney. They put out a statement about fees in a deregulated fee environment. For the benefit of the member for Kingston, who is really not paying attention—and I do not know why, because this is key information for her—the Group of Eight universities in their tabled statement said that their indicative annual fee for a three year undergraduate degree would range from $9993 per annum up to a maximum of $19,849 per annum. At the very most—and this is for a commerce degree—you would pay $59,548 for that. That would be a degree from one of the Group of Eight universities.

Given what the universities themselves have said would be the fees in a deregulated environment, why do the Labor Party spread such malicious fear throughout the community? Is it because they are a bit slow in listening? Is that what it is? Is it for any other reason? Are they suggesting that universities themselves are lying? No. I think this is deliberate, brazen politics and it is because of the politics of fear that they are doing it. They should be condemned for spreading fear amongst the community and convincing young people that they cannot afford to go to university.

See this speech in context