John Madigan (Victoria, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak today on the Higher Education and Research Reform Bill 2014 for the second time.

Due to the complexities of this bill, I have seen two main responses. One is highly-uninformed debate within the community about the current situation and the government's proposals. And the second is a lack of courage by senators of all political persuasions to engage with the government to evolve the higher education model to something more sustainable. I am more than happy to excuse the first point. The Australian community always has good reason to have a heightened level of cynicism when announcements are made by any Australian government. However, the second point is a little more disturbing.

We, as senators, are paid to do a job. Because of the makeup of the current Senate, we on the crossbench are expected to be more responsible and accountable than the opposition. Australians expect the opposition of the day to be obstructionist, but they expect minor party and Independent senators to be impartial. The Australian people have charged the crossbench with a great privilege and a great responsibility.

This bill is before us today because the government believes it is a priority. The government was elected to pursue matters which they believe are priorities. Now, the Senate by no means should act as a rubber stamp, and the Senate should provide scrutiny. But voting down a bill at the second reading before senators have even had a chance to amend a serious bill such as this is absolutely abdicating one's responsibility. Nearly every party involved in this debate agrees that the current system is unsustainable and that change is going to come. It is not a matter of 'if' but 'when'.

Today we, as the crossbench, are in the unique position to review, amend and improve this legislation. We owe it to the Australian people to do just that. In five years' time there may not be a crossbench to scrutinise potential reforms. It is on this day, in this chamber, that we have the opportunity to make positive change. If this bill is taken to an election, like some in this place have called for, then we will lose our ability to have a positive influence. The major parties will have it all their own way. No matter which party wins the next election with their policy, the Australian people and our tertiary education system will lose. I urge my fellow senators to put aside political interest and populism and to do the jobs they were elected to do.

I understand that there is little political benefit in the crossbench working with the government, but this should not be about votes. This should be about doing what is right by our students and our country. Again, I am not asking senators ultimately to support a bill they may disagree with. I am simply calling on them to give this bill a chance to be amended and improved. If, at the end of the day, my fellow crossbench senators still oppose the amended bill then I absolutely respect their right to vote it down. But at least we can say that we have tried to work with the government rather than simply being obstructionist for the sake of it. I believe that, if the Senate put politics and opportunism aside for a minute, we might actually create a fair sustainable and equitable system which would benefit all Australians, but most importantly our students.

We have an opportunity here today to make universities more equitable with the right amendments. This is particularly the case for students from low socioeconomic backgrounds and those from rural and regional Australia. With the right amendments the Senate can leave a positive mark on Australia's higher education landscape. With the right amendments the Senate could create a scholarship system worth hundreds of millions of dollars. This money could be used to pay for accommodation and living expenses, or it could be used to pay for books for disadvantaged university students.

This bill may have the potential to make more seats available in university libraries right across the country at exam time. It may have the potential to fund universities to such an extent that they can purchase sufficient copies of books that are considered recommended reading for students. With the right amendments this bill might have the potential to create a better university system for all of our students. The fact of the matter is we are suffocating universities. We have spent such an enormous portion of this debate thinking about the glory days that we have not taken notice of the impact of budget cuts of successive governments, of all persuasions, to the sector.

In summary, I would like to finish off where I began. Senators have been charged with a great privilege, but with it comes great responsibility. I have serious concerns with the bill in its current form, but I also fear the consequences of doing nothing. Thank you.