James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Education, Senator Payne. Can the minister update the Senate on support for the government's higher education reforms?

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think Senator McGrath very much for that question. There is indeed overwhelming support for the higher education reforms with amendments, from the leaders of higher education around Australia. All of the higher education peak bodies support the need for reform of the sector. In recent weeks there have been a number of statements that have urged the Senate to support the reforms with amendments. They have come from Universities Australia, the Regional Universities Network, Innovative Research Universities, the Australian Technology Network and the Group of Eight.

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader for Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Where are the government amendments?

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There have been similar calls from TAFE Directors Australia, from COPHE, the Council of Private Higher Education, and from ACPET, the Australian Council for Private Education and Training.

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader for Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Show us the colour of the money!

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Pause the clock!

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And those calls of course have also been supported by a number of newspaper articles and a number of media conferences given by those university leaders.

Senator Kim Carr interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On my left!

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It seems to us that it is unprecedented—in fact it is highly significant—that all of those representing our higher education institutions say that the present system is unsustainable, that it is in desperate need of reform and that there would be major benefits for students in reform. Universities Australia, in fact, have noted that opinion polling which they have commissioned shows a strong majority of Australians 'support the deregulation of university fees if the Senate makes important changes'. The Australian Financial Review has also recently argued that, with the huge growth in the number of students, and therefore a significantly higher cost to the taxpayer as well, these are reforms which are essential to maintain a high-quality university system which is open to all Australians. The Australian newspaper also has argued—

Senator Kim Carr interjecting—

that a deregulated system with a strong system of needs based scholarships would— (Time expired)

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Before I call Senator McGrath for the first supplementary question, I just remind senators it is disorderly to shout out during the answering of a question, and I will continually pause the chamber if this continues.

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Will the minister advise the Senate what these experts say about how the government's higher education reforms will benefit students?

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The benefits to students are stressed by university leaders when they talk about the necessity for the reforms. It is about ensuring access for students, and especially students from disadvantaged backgrounds, to the higher education system. Professor Peter Lee, the Chair of the Regional Universities Network, has said—

Senator Kim Carr interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Pause the clock. Thank you. Minister.

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Professor Peter Lee has said:

… the passage of the bill with changes proposed by RUN would help regional students attend and succeed at regional universities and would increase the number of professionals working in regional Australia.

And, of course, as I have said before, and as the university leaders have stressed, no student will need to pay one cent up-front to attend university. It is just a scare campaign—

Opposition senators interjecting—

The PRESIDENT: Pause the clock.

Senator Ian Macdonald interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order on my right!

Honourable senators interjecting —

Senator Wong interjecting—

Order! Order, Senator Wong! Minister, you have the call.

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Those university leaders have also pointed to what will be their ability to offer greatly expanded support to disadvantaged students, and Sydney university is the best example— (Time expired)

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Will the minister further inform the Senate what these experts say would be the consequences of these reforms being thwarted?

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator McGrath. The potential blocking of any of the reforms is something that people like Professor Greg Craven have made some interesting observations on. It would be, in his words, 'a vote for failing institutions, random cuts, a declining student experience and embarrassingly weak national research'. He also says, 'It can never be in the interests of students to be enrolled in a third-rate university system.'

Another vice-chancellor, Professor Margaret Gardner, has said that rejecting the reforms would mean less funding for universities, lower teaching and research quality and less funding available for scholarships—the sorts of scholarships that are going to take the numbers at Sydney university available to students from 700 to 9,000 at that one university alone. Tens of thousands of other students will miss out on the benefits from Commonwealth scholarship if this legislation is not passed by the Senate. There would be other consequences as well. (Time expired)