Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Human Services, Senator Payne, representing the Minister for Education. Can the minister inform the Senate why Universities Australia is urging the Senate to pass the government's higher education reforms with amendment?

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

I thank Senator Ruston very much for the question about the open letter that was published today from Universities Australia. All Senators will have seen that, I am sure. What Universities Australia have indicated is that they are urging the Senate to legislate the higher education reforms with amendments. They are the peak body representing Australia's universities and they say the reforms will provide the new approach to funding that is needed to maintain the quality of education that students expect and that without the reforms Australia risks being left behind. They also have television advertisements that say that, with changes, the higher education reform bill can actually give us the sustainable future that Australian universities need. What their CEO, Belinda Robinson, has said is:

It is not possible for universities to continue to deliver the quality that students and parents expect under a system that remains both financially unsustainable and uncertain.

They in fact call on the Senate to amend and to pass the legislation

In fact, all of the higher education peak bodies in this country support the government's proposed reforms, with amendments—

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

They do not!

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

Order on my left.

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

with amendments. That includes TAFE Directors Australia, and COPHE and ACPET from the private sector. It includes the Regional Universities Network. It includes Innovative Research Universities, the Australian Technology Network and the Group of Eight. They know that these reforms have huge benefits for their students. What the reforms mean is that present and future generations of students will actually have access to the best higher education possible in Australia. The quality of Australian higher education, the quality of the degrees offered, depends on these reforms. As well as making possible an internationally competitive higher education that students rightly expect and making this sustainable for the long-term future, of course there will be many other benefits for students. (Time expired)

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Can the minister apprise the Senate of other benefits for students that will come from the government's higher education reforms?

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

Like crippling debt?

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

Senator Carr should stop misleading the Senate, Mr President. No student has to pay a cent up-front, as is the case now, and no-one needs to repay anything until they are earning over $50,000 a year.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

Order on my left.

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

The other benefits will include the extensive Commonwealth Scholarships scheme. That will be the largest scholarship support in Australia's history, and those opposite simply do not care about that. For the first time ever, the Commonwealth will be supporting all Australian undergraduate students in all registered higher education institutions, not just in bachelor studies but in diplomas as well—all students in those courses. And tens of thousands of the sorts of students from non-university higher education providers—they were here in Canberra last week; they visited Parliament House—will have lower fees because they will have Commonwealth support. They will not have to pay the loan fees of 20 and 25 per cent that are currently applied to students studying under— (Time expired)

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Will the minister advise the Senate of the impact on students, particularly disadvantaged students, if these reforms are not passed?

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

This is actually a very serious question from Senator Ruston, because, if these reforms are not passed—if the opponents of the reforms continue to stand in the way of what all the higher education peak bodies agree is essential for a healthy future for higher education—they are going to be standing in the way of tens of thousands of disadvantaged students who could, for example, benefit from the Commonwealth Scholarships. They are standing in the way of 80,000 students who should have Commonwealth support for their studies. They are standing in the way of another 80,000 students who should not have to pay the unfair VET FEE-HELP loan fee. They are standing in the way of another 50,000 students who should not have to pay the unfair FEE-HELP loan fee. They are standing in the way of 1,500 jobs that depend on the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy. They are standing in the way of the funding of the mid-career Future Fellowships for researchers. It absolutely beggars the imagination that those opposite are not interested in ensuring the future of higher education— (Time expired)