Luke Hartsuyker (Cowper, National Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I move amendments (1) and (2) circulated in the name of the member for Farrer:

(1) Schedule 1, item 2, page 3 (lines 6 and 7), omit the item.

(2) Schedule 1, item 4, page 3 (lines 10 and 11), omit the item.

These amendments would remove the proposed increase to the student services and amenities fee and references to subsequent indexation of that fee. The coalition remains opposed to the student union fee. We introduced voluntary student union fees in 2005 for the very reason that students deserve the right to choose whether they join an association and whether they wish to pay for the services on offer. Not every student is happy to help fund the orienteering club, the campaign rosters for the union president or the student newspaper. The coalition believes that, while we are not in a position to repeal the fee, this amendment would at least prevent this fee increasing and prevent future indexation of the fee.

Sharon Bird (Cunningham, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for Higher Education and Skills) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government will not be supporting these amendments. The government's intent with the bill is to clarify indexation arrangements. The ambiguity arose as a result of amendments of the indexation provisions in the act that were made by the Higher Education Support Amendment (Indexation) Act 2010. The amendments proposed by the opposition, if passed, would substantially change arrangements for the student services and amenities fee. They would change section 19-37(5)(e) to say that a student services and amenities fee cannot be more than $250 for a calendar year, starting 1 January 2012. The government is not changing the amount of the student services and amenities fee; it is making clear that the amount of the fee is $263 in 2012. The student services and amenities fee in the Higher Education Legislation Amendment (Student Services and Amenities) Act 2011 was a 2010 amount. It was always intended that this amount would be indexed on 1 January 2011 and in each subsequent year. This intention was clearly highlighted in the explanatory memorandum for the student services and amenities act. The explanatory memorandum provides that the fee will be indexed to $254 in 2011 and indexed annually thereafter. During the debate in the Senate the government explicitly indicated that, under the proposed arrangements, the fee would be $263 in 2012. Universities are already charging student services and amenities fees up to $263. The opposition's amendments would mean that universities would be breaching section 19-37. There are substantial penalties for breaching that section of the act. It is not reasonable to change these arrangements retrospectively. We do not support the amendments.

Peter Slipper (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question before the chair is that the amendments be agreed to.

Bill agreed to.

Honourable members interjecting—

Bruce Scott (Maranoa, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Would members who are not remaining in the House please leave quietly and quickly and not conduct conversations outside of their place in this chamber.