Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister Education. I refer to page 41 of the coalition's Real Solutions policy document, released before the election, which promised that the coalition would ensure the continuation of the 'current arrangements of university funding'. So, why did the minister say on Q&A last night:

We didn't actually release a higher education policy, …

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

I know that the Leader of the Opposition's idea of a policy is two or three lines in a much longer document. I know that is his idea of policy. On this side of the House, we actually believe in detailed policy work. We believe in serious policy work and then in government—

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Here is your policy!

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

The Leader of the Opposition will put the props down!

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

I think we are seeing these symptoms that Peter Costello once identified in Kim Beazley when he was Leader of the Opposition—a leader under pressure—which was psychobabble followed by exaggerated laughter. This is a syndrome that we are now seeing from the Leader of the Opposition—a leader under pressure. He does not want to hear the answer, because the answer is that Labor are totally out of step with the university sector, and have no allies of any consequence in the university sector over their stance on higher education.

Firstly, when they were in government, they ripped out $6.6 billion. They have gone very silent again when I actually talk about the facts: $6.6 billion they ripped out of the higher education sector. They reduced the international education market from $19 billion when we lost office to $15 billion when we regained office in 2013. So they reduced in several different ways the revenue flow into universities. And now they are trying to stand in the way of universities being free to raise the revenue that they need to be their best selves in a competitive international market.

We, on the other hand, as an adult, sensible government recognise the need to do the things to bring about the microeconomic reform that is required to spread opportunity to more students—80,000 more students by 2018—per year by expanding the demand driven system, by establishing the largest Commonwealth scholarships program in Australia's history, by expanding the Commonwealth Grant Scheme to non-university higher education providers, and by getting rid of the extra loan fees for VET and for private institutions.

And do not just take my word for it. Warren Bebbington, quoted in the Campus Morning Mail by Stephen Matchett today, said:

The combination of the uncapped system and changing student habits, a flat student market, increasing competition from Asian universities and a volatile return on investment in technology has led universities to a ‘point of no return’ irrespective of the higher education reform package currently under debate …

We want to help universities be their best selves. We want more Australians to get higher education qualifications. Labor just wants to stand in the way of good exports and stand in the way of more opportunities for students.