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

My question is to the Prime Minister. Given that the government has ruled out further cuts to foreign aid, will the Prime Minister also rule out cuts to higher education?

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What we want to do with higher education is very clear: we want to liberate our universities from the dead hand of Canberra. We want our universities to be as good as they possibly can. That is what we want.

An incident having occurred in the gallery—

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

There will be silence. The Prime Minister has the call. We see a number of students who have been with us and who are leaving the chamber; they will do it rather quietly, please.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Their education is safe with this government. Their future prospects are bright with this government because the universities of Australia will be better in the future than they have been in the past, because our universities comprise the best and the brightest people in our country. Why do they have to be micromanaged by officials in Canberra? Why do they have to be subject to endless regulation from public servants here in Canberra? What we want to do is not just to have one Australian university in the world's top 50; we want to have at least two Australian universities in the world's top 20. We want that to happen soon, and the best way to bring that about is for members opposite to get out of the way and let our higher education reforms through the Senate.