Natasha Stott Despoja (SA, Australian Democrats) Share this | Hansard source

In relation to changes to full fee paying courses, I understand that universities will have to justify those changes to the minister if they are substantial, and then have them published and approved—or whatever was the quote from the minister earlier. In that context, what is a substantial change? I am happy to have a ballpark figure. I am seriously curious as to whether it is a 10 per cent change or a 50 per cent change—or is it undefined in the sense that it just seems to be a change from what was previously offered.

So, for example, if a university now has 25 per cent opportunities for fee-paying courses but wants to increase that up to 90 per cent or 50 per cent—or whatever it might be—and they have to justify this change to the minister in order to have it analysed, assessed and approved, or not approved as the case may be, what is substantial? If it is a one per cent change or a two per cent change, obviously that would not be substantial. I understand that. I am not deliberately being difficult; I just wonder how it applies in this context. We can talk about how it applies in a taxation context or anywhere else, but as far as higher education is concerned—and in relation to this specific issue—I wonder whether that has been worked out. You can tell me it has not been. You can say, ‘Look, that is something that we’ll look at when determining the agreements with the universities down the track.’ Okay, but I am curious. ‘Substantial’ was the one specific reference in the minister’s outline earlier. It is probably as specific as I am going to get, and I am just curious about what that would constitute in a higher education fee-paying context, in terms of any change.