Chris Ketter (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise also to make a contribution in respect of the answer Senator Abetz gave to the question from Senator Carr in respect of the higher education mess which this government now appears to be in. Senator Abetz's answer did confirm that this government is still committed to the disgraceful policies which will lead, in my view and in the view of many others, to $100,000 degrees in this country. We should never forget that, at its core, this policy is a fundamental breach of commitments that were given by the now Prime Minister and the education minister prior to and after the election. In fact, it was on 1 September 2013 on the Insiders program that the Prime Minister said there would be 'no cuts to education'. On 17 November 2013, the education minister said, 'We are not going to raise fees.' We should never forget that this is a bill which is based on a lie, walking away from commitments that were given to the Australian people in 2013.

They say that a week is long time in politics. For the education minister, it seems that a day is long time. Yesterday, Mr Pyne, the education minister, was on the Insiders program fighting the good fight. I quote from what he said during the course of that interview:

I think people would give me credit for the fact that I was—never left the battlefield. I always fought right through to the end. And we will fight right through to the vote, which will probably be on Wednesday, for as long as it takes. Now, what we do after that, I'm not contemplating. I'm contemplating victory on Wednesday because it's too important not to win for students and for universities and for Australia.

The education minister seemed to be relishing his imaginary crusade. It appeared to all and sundry that victory was within his grasp. He could smell it and he could taste it. But he seemed unconcerned that 1,700 researchers would lose their jobs as part of the government's approach. He was—and still is—completely unconcerned about the fact that he is shutting down the opportunity for thousands of young Australians to attend university.

As Senator Bilyk has indicated, even his South Australian colleague Senator Bernardi says that the move appears counterproductive. Senator Bernardi went on to say:

Playing games with our scientists and research hasn't seemed to have done the government any favours.

The education minister has retreated from the battlefield, and the researchers are safe for now. This reminds me of the disgraceful situation in which Senator Muir found himself in December of last year when he was the person who cast the final vote that allowed Scott Morrison's controversial asylum seeker laws to pass through the Senate. This is the sort of blackmail and pushed-through-at-any-cost action typical of the Abbott government. The Abbott government is continuing its dedication to taking the fair go out of Australia.

Despite the flip-flopping from the coalition, Labor will vote against these cuts to university funding and student support. Labor will not support a system of higher fees, bigger student debt, reduced access and greater inequality. We will never tell Australians that the quality of their education depends on their capacity to pay. Australians value the role our universities play not just in educating individuals but as contributors to the public good. Our universities are deeply engaged in the global research endeavour, trying to solve the world's thorniest problems, from offering insights into terrorist organisations to curing cancer. Australians know that both research and teaching are important. So, when Christopher Pyne threatens to cut research if he does not get his dud package through the Senate, Australians do not think, 'What a good idea.' They become even angrier that their representatives standing up against broken promises are being subjected to threats and blackmail. Every day, more and more people are waking up to this higher education shambles, realising it is nothing less than a desperate attempt to impose an ideological deregulation agenda that has failed in the UK, that has failed in America— (Time expired)

Question agreed to.