Russell Broadbent (McMillan, 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 will support young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to obtain higher education qualification? Why is a consistent approach to policy important?

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

I can tell the member for McMillan, who cares very deeply about low-SES and disadvantaged young people being given the opportunity to go to university, that one of the most important features of our higher education reforms is that they will spread opportunity to many more young people to go to university and get a higher education qualification. At least 80,000 more young people will get the chance to go to university—typically, students from low-SES backgrounds and first generation university goers. That is one of the reasons the government is so supportive of these higher education reforms.

One of the ways we are making these reforms is by having the largest Commonwealth scholarships fund in Australia's history. The Minister for Agriculture mentioned earlier in question time that rural and regional universities will have the chance to design their scholarships in order to compete with all other universities. This fact has been recognised today by the Australian Technology Network of universities. The University of South Australia; the Queensland University of Technology; Curtin University; the University of Technology, Sydney; and the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology put out a statement today on behalf of the ATN saying:

The Australian Technology Network of Universities (ATN) supports the Commonwealth Scholarship model unveiled in the Federal Budget as being in the best interest of students in a deregulated higher education system.

The ATN Executive Director was quoted as saying:

What actually matters is more low SES students participating and achieving at university without the need for costly oversight.

So the university sector is starting to realise the enormous benefits that will flow to students and taxpayers because of the government's higher education reforms.

I am also asked about consistency. Our consistency of approach stands in stark contrast to the other side of politics in this place. I would ask you to tell me, Madam Speaker, what these 12 people have in common: Julia Gillard, Simon Crean, Peter Garrett, the Leader of the Opposition, Chris Evans, the member for McMahon, Craig Emerson, Senator Kim Carr, Jacinta Collins, the member for Wills, the member for Adelaide and the member for Parramatta. All those people have something in common: in the last six years every one of them has been a shadow minister or minister for education. In six years there have been 12 shadow ministers or ministers for education.

And they sent somebody else over the top, yesterday. They have appointed the member for Kingston as the 13th. Thirteen Labor members share the distinction of passing the parcel on education reform over the last six years.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

The member for McMahon is warned.

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

They might change the faces of their higher education and education reform but the problem is that Labor does not get the need to give our universities the chance to be their best, and to get more students into university.