Brett Mason (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Assistant Minister for Education and Training, Senator Birmingham, representing the Minister for Education and Training. Can the minister outline to the Senate how the government's approach to funding higher education differs from alternative approaches which have been proposed?

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

I thank Senator Mason—who has great expertise in the area of higher education—for his question.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

Just a moment, Senator Birmingham. Pause the clock. On my left: Senator Carr, Senator Conroy, Senator Cameron. Order! Senator Birmingham, please continue.

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

Our government's reforms ensure that we can maintain the uncapped demand-driven system of providing undergraduate university places; we can ensure we maintain taxpayer subsidised places for every single undergraduate student who is admitted by a university

That should be welcomed. It should be welcomed by those opposite, because none less than the former Prime Minister Ms Gillard in her book My Story cites the uncapping of university places as 'a particularly proud moment, a particularly proud decision to unchain Australian universities.'

Our reforms move even further in the unchaining of Australian universities. They lift the shackles in relation to pathway courses and diploma courses. They ensure there will be more opportunities for more students, particularly more students from disadvantaged backgrounds, to take advantage of those pathway places. But it is acknowledged that current funding models are unsustainable. Our reforms ensure that we address that unsustainability.

Senator Kim Carr interjecting—

The opposition, though, offers no alternative—except for Senator Carr. Senator Carr has said:

The demand driven system is for a finite period.

That is not what the legislation says. That is not what Ms Gillard says about her proud achievement. That is not what universities believe to be the case. Our reforms are about trying to maintain the fine achievements that Ms Gillard speaks of. It seems that Senator Carr wants to come along and undo those reforms by denying university students their right to a place. (Time expired)

Brett Mason (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Can the minister advise the Senate of the consequences should the government's higher education reforms not proceed?

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

If our reforms do not pass, we will be consigning Australian universities and through them, students, to a 'decline into mediocrity'. They are not my words. They are the words of Universities Australia. Universities Australia recognises that the current system is unsustainable. Universities will be stuck with inadequate and unpredictable resources and an unsustainable status quo. Worse still, they will face the continued fear, the continued threat that Senator Carr would get his way and would manage to put a cap back in place in relation to university places. Universities would face that constant fear, as would students, that the vulnerable and the disadvantaged may be denied a place at university because the cap would be reinstituted, as Senator Carr seems to want to do. In fact, as one economist has described it, he wants to bring back 'Moscow on the Molonglo'. He wants to put the bureaucrats back in charge of deciding who goes to university— (Time expired)

Brett Mason (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Can the minister advise the Senate of any other potential consequences should the government's higher education reforms not proceed.

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

I thank Senator Mason again. There are serious consequences. Without these reforms, some 80,000 students each year would miss out on Commonwealth support for their higher education places, meaning that either there would not be places for them or they would have to pay higher fees. Without these reforms, the unfair loan fees on FEE-HELP and VET FEE-HELP would continue. Without these reforms, many thousands of new parents would not have the benefit of the proposed HECS indexation pause. Without these reforms, the ability of regional and other universities to offer diploma and similar courses would be lost. Without these reforms, there would be no Commonwealth scholarships. There would be no higher education participation program scholarships. Without these reforms, there would be a range of losses for future students, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds. But, worst of all, without these reforms our universities would not be able to stay at the world-class standard they are and would face the constant threat that Senator Carr— (Time expired)