Matt Williams (Hindmarsh, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Education. Will the minister outline to the House the importance of the reform of our higher education sector? And what support has the government received for these reforms?

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Hindmarsh for his question because he, like the rest of the government, wants to spread opportunity in higher education to 80,000 more young Australians over the next few years—at least 80,000 more—in stark contrast to the opposition. He, like most members of the government, want to give our universities the opportunity to excel and to compete with their Asian counterparts, who are coming at them all the time, in terms of quality and capacity to attract international students.

Support for these reforms are coming from some likely sources but also some unlikely sources. We have had a lot of support from the Group of Eight Universities and the Regional Universities Network. We have had support from business leaders, like Michael Cheney in Western Australia, who strongly supported these reforms when he was in Canberra last sitting week. There is support from peak bodies, like the Australian Council for Private Education and Training. And, of course, from our old china plate, the member for Fraser, who continues to write and say excellent things about the government's higher education reform agenda, which is about spreading opportunity.

But I was surprised at some unlikely sources that over the weekend supported our government's reforms. I would like to quote from the Financial Review today, where one person is saying:

The extension of funding of sub-bachelor program's to TAFE SA and other registered higher education providers provides an opportunity for TAFE SA to access Commonwealth funding for its diploma and advanced diploma courses on an equal footing diploma courses on an equal footing with universities.

It is a very sensible statement, and I was most surprised that it came from Gail Gago, the South Australian higher education minister in the state Labor government in South Australia.

This is an unusual and rare sensible statement from the South Australian Labor government. But when they do say something sensible we should praise them for it, because they are quite right: we want to spread the benefit of higher education to at least 80,000 more students—

Mr Champion interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Wakefield is warned!

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

in TAFEs and other private providers around Australia. And support is coming from the South Australian Labor government. No wonder the member for Port Adelaide left during my answer, because he would be embarrassed about that!

But this support stands in stark contrast to Australia's No. 1 whinger, the Leader of the Opposition, who wrings his hands and who is the national complaints desk for every complaint in Australia. But there is a question that he has to answer: where is the money coming from?

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order, on relevance. The question specifically referred to who was supporting the reforms from the minister opposite. There is no way he could include the Leader of the Opposition as a supporter of what he is doing to higher education.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is no point of order.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In the time left available to me, let me make it very clear: we recognise that Australia's No. 1 whinger does not support expanding opportunity to more Australians around the country. We know that this lightweight Leader of the Opposition does not support our reforms, but they will be passed and they will benefit Australians.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, and I would say to the minister that it would be helpful to refer to people by their correct titles.