Dana Wortley (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I seek leave to incorporate my remarks.

Leave granted.

The speech read as follows—

Mr President, I rise to speak in favour of the Higher Education Support Amendment (2008 Budget Measures) Bill 2008.

I do so because this Bill is yet another example of  the Government following through on its election commitments ... in this case, following through on our key higher education election commitments.

Unfortunately, the Opposition has chosen ... yet again ... to treat the will of the Australian people with contempt by attempting to stop this democratically elected Government from making good on its promises through the 2008-2009 budget Bills.

This Higher Education Support Amendment Bill is true to the very heart of Labor policy when it comes to education: We believe in better access and a fairer system.

We believe good-quality, universally accessible education is a right, not a privilege.

We also believe in doing something about the skills crisis gripping this country – and to this end, too, this Bill takes steps.

As law, this legislation will offer incentives for young people to study and take up a career in maths, science and early childhood education – all priority skills areas for our economy and society.

We’re ensuring, too, that higher education provider funding for maths and science will be maintained.

The Bill will move to make higher education accessible for Australians in several ways.

It will abolish full fees for domestic students and double the numbers of undergraduate scholarships and postgraduate awards available.

It also provides for the funding of places and infrastructure for James Cook University Dental School and medicine, nursing and education at the University of Notre Dame.

Through measures such as these, Labor is working to bring back fairness and equity to higher education.

When I first spoke in this place, I reflected on having benefited from the Whitlam Government’s policy to broaden access to the tertiary education system.

And now, before us today we have a Bill that will again assist young Australians realise their potential and reduce the burden on families when it comes to university fees.

There will be an extra positive spin-off for rural and regional Australia, too, with the reduction of HECS repayments for those graduates who work in early childhood education jobs in the country.

So this legislation is about equality and opportunity.

Universities will have 11,000 new Commonwealth-supported places with on-going funding by 2011 to replace the full-fee-paying places that will be phased out from 2009.

Students will be able to engage in merit-based competition for these places, rather than having their chances based on their ability to pay.

And no existing student will lose their place.

Australia has much to gain in terms of culture and research efforts from being part of international educational exchange - and the Government encourages higher education institutions to enrol fee-paying overseas students.

Places for overseas students are in addition to, not in place of, domestic students.

The Government’s higher education commitment is to better equip Australians to take their place as productive members of our society ... through increased knowledge and opportunity.

This also will rein in the skills crisis and make our country a more prosperous one.

Therefore I commend this Bill to the Senate.