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

Not only can I not confirm what Senator Carr invites me to confirm; I can, in fact, deny what Senator Carr asserts in relation to that. Senator Carr is quite wrong in that regard. What I would, though, make sure Senator Carr appreciates is that, yes, higher education, like all areas of government spending, needs to contribute to a budget sustainability program. That is what this government has been seeking to do—to make sure that all areas of government work towards getting the budget back into balance over time. In higher education, that is critically important because we have seen such phenomenal growth in higher education numbers—which is welcome in terms of participation but does put a heavy burden on the budget. We need to make sure it is sustainable. I want to make sure the HELP scheme, which ensures equitable access for any Australian of any background to go to university, is sustainable into the future.