Great reform takes time - new higher education reform package to go to senate

It is disappointing that Labor and the Greens voted to shut down Senate debate on the Government’s higher education package before amendments could be considered.

However the Government will not be deterred and will move to introduce a new higher education reform package into the House of Representatives.

It will be passed and sent to the Senate early next year. Great reform takes time.

This new reform Bill will include amendments proposed by cross bench Senators.

Like its predecessor, it will expand opportunities to more than 80,000 students a year by 2018 through diplomas and pathway courses.

Importantly, it will introduce a more generous HECS system than currently exists, with new mums and dads receiving a five year HECS pause – an initiative of Senator John Madigan

It will reflect Senator Bob Day’s amendment to keep HECS indexation at CPI.

It will empower the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to monitor and act on any price gouging or unfair fee increases in a deregulated market.

It will include a university transition fund and create Australia’s biggest scholarship scheme targeted towards disadvantaged and rural and regional students –of keen interest to Senator Ricky Muir.

It will continue the funding of crucial research and infrastructure that were left as Budget funding cliffs by the previous Government.

I want to thank those cross bench Senators who proposed changes to the legislation that will now be enshrined in this new Bill.

Their cooperation and assistance means we will now have a reform package with agreed checks and balances, the most generous HECS scheme ever and a range of measures to ensure all universities can compete in a deregulated environment.

The Government’s Bill has received the historic consensus support of the higher education sector, particularly through Universities Australia, however Labor and the Greens continue to ignore their repeated calls to support reform.

Bill Shorten and Labor have failed in their responsibilities as a credible alternative Government to act responsibly and in the best interests of Australia’s higher education sector and they know it.

Labor have offered no plan, no alternative and stand condemned for putting in danger the nation’s biggest services export that supports tens of thousands of employers across the country.

The baseless and insulting scare campaign Labor and their supporters have been engaged in has been repudiated by the universities themselves.

Labor has shown they simply do not trust our highest institutions of learning – to regulate themselves.

The Senate will have the Christmas holiday period to consider this new reform Bill. They will be presented with another opportunity to secure a sustainable higher education sector and provide more choices and opportunities for students.