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

Indeed, we have heard from Senator Carr, Mr Shorten and the Labor Party in the last week that apparently what they stand for is the introduction of 'compacts' with Australian universities. Well, let's detail what a 'compact' actually looks like. A compact, of course, would be Senator Carr and Canberra—a bureaucracy—saying to Australian universities, 'You can only take this many students in these particular subjects.' It would be a complete reregulation of Australian universities. It would fly in the face of what Ms Gillard claims was one of the proudest achievements of her government: the uncapping of student places, the opening up of opportunities.

What we want to do with our reforms is build on that uncapping so that we actually have the opportunity for universities to continue to expand access—and access beyond and below that bachelor degree level. That is what our reforms do; Labor's would recreate 'Moscow on the Molonglo', as it has been called, with Senator Carr determining all that happens. (Time expired)