Steve Irons (Swan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Education. Will the minister inform the House how the government's higher education reforms are fair for both students and taxpayers? Why is fairness important?

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

There will be silence on my left, and that includes the member for Kingsford-Smith.

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

I thank the member for Swan for his question because he, like all members on this side of the House, cares about fairness in higher education—

Ms Butler interjecting—

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

The member for Griffith will leave under 94(a).

The member for Griffith then left the chamber.

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

for both students and taxpayers. The higher education reforms proposed by the government will deliver fairness for students and for taxpayers. They will do that because, at the moment, taxpayers are funding 60 per cent of the cost of a student's education at university and students are paying 40 per cent. Our reforms, when passed by the House and the Senate, will rebalance that contribution to 50-50. In most people's books, 50-50 is a very fair deal, especially when you consider that the students can borrow every single dollar of their share upfront from those very same taxpayers who are paying the other 50 per cent and at the best interest rates that they will ever get on a loan in their lives, and then they will go on to earn a million dollars more on average than those taxpayers who do not have a higher education qualification. So it is a very fair deal.

Greater leaders than this one understood that in the past—Paul Keating, for example. When he was the Prime Minister he said:

There is no such thing, of course, as 'free' education - somebody has to pay.

In systems with no charges, those somebodies are all taxpayers. This is a pretty important point. A free higher education system is one paid for by the taxes of all, the majority of whom have not had the privilege of a university education. Ask yourself if you think that is a fair thing.

I agree with Paul Keating. I think Paul Keating was right. He knew a little bit about fairness. I am asked about fairness, and today it—it has, remarkably, gone unnoticed by the opposition—the fourth anniversary of the Gillard coup against Kevin Rudd. On 24 June four years ago to this day, Bill the Knife sunk it into Kevin Rudd and made sure that he was no longer the Prime Minister.

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

I say to the Minister for Education please refer to people by their correct titles.

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

I withdraw. The Leader of the Opposition did not know much about fairness four years ago today. Four years ago he was not very fair to Kevin Rudd, and then three years later he was not very fair to Julia Gillard.

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. Do you really think this is directly relevant?

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

There is no point of order.

Mr Burke interjecting—

The member will resume his seat. He has erred sufficiently on points of order. The minister has the call.

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

I am talking about fairness—fairness to students, fairness to taxpayers and fairness to former Labor prime ministers. This man did not show much fairness to Kevin Rudd or to Julia Gillard. It wasn't shootout at the O.K. Corral; it was shootout at the Huang Hou!

Mr Burke interjecting—

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

I would say to the Manager of Opposition Business that he has erred so badly with calling points of order in the last few days that I am very loath to give him the call on points of order unless he improves his game. We will move on to the next question.