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senate vote 2015-06-18#3
Edited by
mackay staff
on
2018-03-09 14:23:29
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Title
Motions — Higher Education- Motions - Higher Education - Extend funding to private universities and colleges
Description
<p class="speaker">Dio Wang</p><p>I, and also on behalf of Senator Day and Senator Leyonhjelm, move:</p><p class="italic">That the Senate notes that:</p>- The majority voted against a [motion](http://www.openaustralia.org.au/senate/?id=2015-06-18.34.1) introduced by Palmer United Party Senator [Dio Wang](https://theyvoteforyou.org.au/people/senate/wa/dio_wang) that asked the Government to extend funding to for private universities and colleges to increase competition in the higher education sector. This means the motion failed.
- ### Motion text
- > *That the Senate notes that:*
- > *(a) public universities currently do not sufficiently compete with one another to lower fees for domestic undergraduate students, instead, they routinely charge the maximum amount allowed by the current government, thus rewarding inefficiency and keeping tuition artificially high for students;*
- > *(b) competition brings down tuition fees for students, for example, government funding would allow private not for profit colleges, such as Sheridan College in Perth, to deliver current and future courses without a charge to students, and many other private colleges and universities would also reduce fees;*
- > *(c) students would have the choice to earn an undergraduate degree without incurring a crushing debt burden;*
- > *(d) the Government would be under no obligation to provide capital grants, such as land, building, equipment etc. to such colleges;*
- > *(e) extending funding to private colleges and private universities would both benefit students and save government money; and*
- > *(f) a proposal to extend the Commonwealth Grants Scheme (CGS) to not for profit private colleges and universities should be considered irrespective of the rest of the Government's higher education deregulation agenda, as funding private not for profit colleges, such as Sheridan College, levels the playing field leading to the possibility of free education for Australian students.*
<p class="italic">(a) public universities currently do not sufficiently compete with one another to lower fees for domestic undergraduate students, instead, they routinely charge the maximum amount allowed by the current government, thus rewarding inefficiency and keeping tuition artificially high for students;</p><p class="italic">(b) competition brings down tuition fees for students, for example, government funding would allow private not for profit colleges, such as Sheridan College in Perth, to deliver current and future courses without a charge to students, and many other private colleges and universities would also reduce fees;</p><p class="italic">(c) students would have the choice to earn an undergraduate degree without incurring a crushing debt burden;</p><p class="italic">(d) the Government would be under no obligation to provide capital grants, such as land, building, equipment etc. to such colleges;</p><p class="italic">(e) extending funding to private colleges and private universities would both benefit students and save government money; and</p><p class="italic">(f) a proposal to extend the Commonwealth Grants Scheme (CGS) to not for profit private colleges and universities should be considered irrespective of the rest of the Government's higher education deregulation agenda, as funding private not for profit colleges, such as Sheridan College, levels the playing field leading to the possibility of free education for Australian students.</p> <p class="speaker">Claire Moore</p><p>I seek leave to make a short statement.</p> <p class="speaker">Gavin Marshall</p><p>Leave is granted for one minute.</p> <p class="speaker">Claire Moore</p><p>This motion is in a number of respects factually incorrect and misunderstands the nature of the education system. Nowhere, either in Australia or in any other country, has competition in the field of education led to lower prices. In fact, the opposite is the case. The privatisation and deregulation of child care, school education and, most recently, vocational education and training has led to higher costs for students and their families in every instance. There is no reason to think that privatisation of the university system would be any different. Australia has a strong, sustainable and diverse university system, and there is no case to undermine it. Labor does not support this motion.</p> <p class="speaker">Gavin Marshall</p><p>The question is that general business notice of motion No. 745 be agreed to.</p>
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