Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Hansard source

The Labor Party's capacity to run scare campaigns is admirable. It is one of the few admirable traits they have. They have an admirable capacity to run a scare campaign, and that of course is what Senator Carr is engaged in here.

There are no plans by this government to tax universities. There are no plans by this government to tax university students. There are plans by this government to ensure that the maximum number of Australians in future have the opportunity to go to university, whether it is through a pathway course; whether it is through a diploma course, where our reforms will extend opportunities; or whether it is through an uncapped system of places for undergraduate courses. We want to preserve the opportunity for all those who qualify—for all of those who universities choose to admit—to go to university. That is what Senator Carr is standing in the way of at present. Our reforms will preserve those opportunities rather than deny them as Senator Carr would. (Time expired)