Jan McLucas (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Mental Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Nash, the Minister representing the Minister for Health. Is the minister aware that the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation yesterday called on MPs and senators to reject the deregulation of university fees, stating:

It's nonsensical that as a significant Australian nursing shortage looms over the next decade, the Abbott Government is intent on systematically destroying nursing education in this country …

Has the Department of Health done any analysis on the impact of fee deregulation on the health system's capacity to attract, train and retain Australian nurses?

Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party, Assistant Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am aware of some comment from the sector, both nursing and the medical sector more broadly, about the deregulation of the higher education sector. I have certainly listened to all of those concerns and those views. But this government believes that the appropriate way forward for the higher education system is through the deregulation package that we have put forward.

I understand that work has been done, as you have asked, around the impact on health. My understanding is that has been the case; if it is not, I will certainly come back to the chamber. But the important thing to realise here is that the coalition is absolutely focused on ensuring that we have a higher education sector that is sustainable and that can grow. In my dealings across the sector, including the regional sector, and around those issues of health, the deregulation of the higher education sector is indeed the most appropriate way forward.

Jan McLucas (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Mental Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Can the minister confirm that independent modelling by NATSEM at the University of Canberra found that the full cost of a nursing degree for a female graduate under the proposed higher education changes would increase from around $23,000 to around $63,000? Is the Department of Health considering targeted scholarships to ameliorate the impact of this near-trebling of the cost of a nursing degree?

Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party, Assistant Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will take on notice the specifics of that around the work that has been done in that area, but I say the focus of this government is ensuring we have into the future the workforce that we need when it comes to the medical professions. You are talking about the future of the provision of that part of the sector out in the community. We believe what we are doing with the deregulation reforms will indeed provide the appropriate way forward for growth and will address many of the issues you have raised.

Jan McLucas (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Mental Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Given that nurses do not earn high wages and that many are women who take time out of the workforce to have families, won't applying a real interest rate to HECS debt have a particularly adverse and regressive impact on these critical and caring workers, discouraging young women from starting in the profession?

Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party, Assistant Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The coalition does not agree with that. We believe that the package of reforms that we have put forward is indeed the best way forward for the sector. We have indeed put much work into this to ensure that we have come up with the most appropriate package, and the coalition stands by what we are doing in this sector.