Luke Howarth (Petrie, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I reject the motion put forward by the member for Griffith and the numerous negative assertions she has made. It's a political stunt; she couldn't even be bothered to stick around for the motion and listen to every speaker. She left early, as did the member for Longman, who seconded the motion, yet there are some great opportunities in the Moreton Bay region that will directly affect the member for Longman's constituents. She couldn't be bothered to stick around either.

In 2013, funding for the higher education sector was $14.9 billion. This year it's $17.5 billion. That's a $2.6 billion increase from when I was elected in 2013. That's not a cut; that's a $2.6 billion increase. This is a problem with Australian politics today and what we're seeing from many people opposite: campaigns built around untruths. The Australian public are seeing through this. Universities across Australia have seen a 71 per cent gross increase since 2009. In my region and the member for Fairfax's region, the University of the Sunshine Coast has seen a 150 per cent increase.

We live in a country full of opportunities, and any Australian wanting to study at university can. The only reason the government is making some changes now is that legislation that would have seen benefits to young people right across this country was rejected by Labor, the Greens and the Nick Xenophon Team. The biggest lie in the campaign that we've heard from some members opposite is that we'd see an increase in costs for young people studying. We hear that somehow there are going to be $100,000 degrees. But everyone in this place knows—and for everyone listening—the government pay 60 per cent of the cost, so why on earth would we want education funding costs for universities to go up? If we have to pay $60,000 of a degree and a student pays $40,000, why would we want a $100,000 degree? No-one's been able to answer that, of course.

Our changes to the higher education system were not taken lightly. We received 1,200 submissions from higher education institutions and peak bodies and representation from industries, professionals and individuals. Even Labor's own education shadow minister admitted there was a problem, and back in 2013 they announced $6.6 billion of cuts—if you take their line in relation to this—to higher education and research. At the time, former Prime Minister Gillard announced some changes and Maxine McKew was critical of that, as was the headline in 2013, 'Labor to fight higher education cuts proposed by Labor: Kim Carr'.

But that's enough negativity; let's get onto what's happening locally in the electorate of Petrie and in the member for Dickson's area. I want to thank the Minister for Home Affairs, the member for Dickson, because we've both been fighting for young people in our own electorates. In my electorate at the moment there is no university. I don't have any university at all in my electorate, but we will ensure that the University of the Sunshine Coast will build a new university at the old Petrie paper mill, which will start in 2020. We were able to secure a $35 million grant to help get the Moreton Bay university established through the council—to get ground works and everything happening. They are happening right now, as I speak. We were also able to secure a loan of $121 million for the University of the Sunshine Coast to get those buildings underway.

This morning I met with a representative at the University of the Sunshine Coast, who said some very kind words in relation to what we're doing for universities and young people in our electorates. We have seen base funding for Commonwealth supported places at the University of the Sunshine Coast increase by 152 per cent, which I mentioned earlier. As a father of three young sons, who are 15, 13 and 11, I'm passionate about making sure that the education system is sustainable long into the future. These changes are doing that. In regional areas, we've seen over half a billion dollars for the Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Program over the forward estimates to help regional students access university, and it goes on. I'm very pleased to be able to talk on this. I look forward to the University of the Sunshine Coast opening our new campus in Moreton Bay in 2020. It will provide great opportunities for young people in my electorate.

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