Stephen Jones (Throsby, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Development and Infrastructure) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is a brave person who disagrees with the member for Lalor, the Opposition Whip, but I have to say that the education minister more resembles Basil Fawlty than Basil Rathbone. His performance on Sky TV yesterday is deserving of a Logie award.

There are 150 electorates represented in this parliament. Mine, regrettably, ranks at 133 in terms of participation in higher education. We know that the way to turn that around is to invest in our schools system and in our universities. We know that the way not to improve education participation is to put more obstacles in the way of people from modest backgrounds entering our higher education system. But, regrettably, that is exactly what the minister is intending to do.

Today, we saw Professor Chapman bell the cat. Professor Chapman is often relied on by the member for Sturt in support of his policies. But today he said this, and I quote:

… I still expect that prices, at least for the Group of Eight strong demand courses, will be at least two and a half times—

what they are today. That means that $100,000 degrees are a reality. But there is a gift! Easter and Christmas are coming early, because they say they are going to take it to the next election. Bring it on! (Time expired)