20 August 2014
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Christopher Pyne is barnstorming the nation making the case for his higher education reform package, and continues to question that fee deregulation will likely lead to overall big fee hikes. Never mind fee deregulation: University of Melbourne vice-chancellor Glyn Davis (not a person given to hyperbole) has pointed out that the 20% cut in public funding to universities will alone require at least a 30% fee increase. Pyne also makes much of the generosity of the the proposed new Commonwealth scholarship scheme – but no one seems to pick him up on the fact that it will be funded by students themselves (20% of increased revenue from fees would go to scholarships) which is actually a tax on students and scholarship. Meanwhile Palmer United Party senator Jacqui Lambi made clear in an interview on ABC’s AM program her continuing opposition to the proposed reforms.
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MICHAEL BRISSENDEN: The Health Minister Peter Dutton described his negotiations with the cross-bench as fruitful. Why does he feel so confident?
JACQUIE LAMBIE: Ah, well, I don’t know, but I wouldn’t have any confidence in the $7 co-payment when it comes to the Palmer United Party, that’s for sure. And it’s like Christopher Pyne, you know, he can go and grab a box of Kleenex because all his education reforms are going down the gurgler; it’s as simple as that.
