ANU National Day of Action
Education Speak-out

27 August 2003
Union Court
Australian National University

This National Union of Students National Day of Action is an opportunity to express yourself and your opposition to the proposed changes to higher education that the Coalition Government is seeking to impose.

Interestingly, the Government is here at ANU today, supposedly consulting with higher education stakeholders about their proposals.  However, the most important stakeholders, and it concerns me greatly that the students and the staff have not been given an appropriate opportunity to express their views formally through the consultation process. With that in mind I congratulate this initiative – a speak-out, as it is the best opportunity to have your voices heard and I am proud to add my voice to the campaign. 

The Howard Government has cut $5 billion from Australian Universities since 1996, including over $120 million from the ANU.  The Coalition is under-funding our universities.  This is causing a crisis in two main areas. First it is causing a crisis in the quality of higher education in Australia.

At the same time that we have seen other nations increasing their public investment in universities, Australia has seen a decline. Our public investment in our universities is not just low by international standards; it has actually been falling while our competitor countries have increased their public investment.

Public investment in universities in Australia declined by 12 per cent between 1995 and 1999.  This is a bigger decline than in any other nation in the OECD. We are being left behind as a direct result of this government's policies.

Secondly, the Coalition’s under-investment in Higher education is also actually stopping thousands—in fact, 20,000 Australians a year—from realising their potential and gaining the skills and education they need for a better job. This Coalition is not providing enough university places.

The impact of under-funding hits students and their families hardest.  The Coalition’s has seized the opportunity to inflict their ideology of creating opportunity only for those able to pay for a university education.  This has forced universities to hike fees up for students and their families.

One of the most inequitable changes that this government introduced in 1998 was that students could buy their way into universities. Instead of access to university for Australians being on the basis of how well you do in your exams, this government says that, if you have the money, you can buy a place at university.

If we look at current proposals, we know—and one day we will see the legislation—that the government intends to allow universities to increase their HECS fees by up to 30 per cent. Already the University of Sydney has announced that it intends to put its fees up by the full 30 per cent.

Students will face these massive fees if they get a place at one of our universities. Of course, if a student wants to do a combined degree or an honours year they will have to pay even more.

We are just starting to see the implications of this in reduced home ownership, reduced savings rates by young people, delayed parenthood and, in some cases, an increase in the brain drain. Many students are leaving the country to get away from their high student debts. All this is very bad news if you are at University now, but it is even worse news if you are contemplating university over the next five years or so.

Labor has rejected this future – a stunted future under a visionless Government.

Labor has put on the table our plan for Higher Education:  Aim Higher.  This plan is Labor’s first down payment in creating a world leading system of lifelong learning.

Aim higher will give universities the investment and strategic direction they need to be learning institutions for the twenty-first century. Labor believes that a university degree must be affordable. That is why Labor opposes fee increases for University Students.

With over $120 million cut from the from the ANU under the Coalition, Labor believes the ANU needs more public support. The number of students per teaching staff has also increased – blown out by nearly 24% at the ANU.

Labor recognises the need to maintain the value of operating grants.  Labor will maintain the value of funding to universities by including the Wage Cost Index (Education) in a composite index to increase university grants over and above existing increases and provide $312 million additional funding between 2005 and 2007.

I am pleased to announce here today that ANU would receive over $14 million more – as just one of the measures in Labor’s “Aim Higher” policy. Labor will also introduce a new indexation measure to maintain standards and quality

Other sources of new funding that will benefit the ANU under Labor’s $2.34 billion package include:

Overall, Labor has committed $2.34 billion over four years in Tertiary education, including TAFE.  Only Labor is able to deliver this outcome.

Finally, the Howard Government also wants to make a condition of funding that students do not automatically become members of their student organisation.  That would mean an end to many essential services to support students in their studies including sporting, childcare and medical facilities. Labor supports universal membership of student organisations and opposes any attempt to intervene to prevent automatic membership.

So I call on you to join Labor and reject the Howard Government’s inequitable, unfair and unjust proposals for Higher Education in this country.

Labor is the only alternative and we have the policy credentials that deserve your support.  I urge you to get active and speak out for higher education.