Joanne Ryan (Lalor, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is Christmas, a time for giving, but Australia does not want the present Minister Pyne is planning in higher education. It appears that those opposite may have picked up on the deep anger in electorates like mine about higher education and the Americanisation of that system. Deaf to so many things, the member for Sturt must have felt the earth move from the rumblings of angry Australians expressing their outrage. So Minister Pyne has been doing deals in the Senate. Desperate to get at least one cruel measure through, he has been wheeling and dealing. He needs to listen. He needs to learn seriously how to listen. You cannot half hear the electorate. Your deal will still dish up $100,000 degrees, it will still cut $5.8 billion out of universities, and it will free universities to increase their fees with impunity. No advertising campaign, Mr Pyne, no trimming of the cruel measures, will placate Labor or the public. Australia does not want your planned Christmas present. On this side of the House we will fight the Americanisation of our universities. We will fight to keep higher education fair and accessible for all Australians. I call on those in the other place to vote this bill down. (Time expired)