8 October 2004 - Media Release

Investing in our future: Universities

After eight years of conservative Federal government, Canberra’s universities and their students past and present are ready for change.

Labor has committed to reinvest in our young people, our public universities and our future by stopping the Howard Government’s 25% HECS increases, abolishing domestic full fee paying undergraduate places which cost as much as $210,000 and properly funding our universities.

Since 1996 the Howard Government has ripped more than $5 billion from Australian universities.

A Federal Labor Government will restore, reform and expand our universities so they are the centres of learning excellence they need to be for our children and our community.

The Howard Government has undermined the merit system in education with the introduction of domestic full fee paying places, which allow some students to buy their way into university.

Labor’s abolition of these places will ensure that access to university is on the basis of merit, and not the size of your wallet.

The Howard Government has locked out thousands of talented Australians from university through inhibitive HECS increases and insufficient university places.

Labor will stop the 25% HECS increases and work to keep tertiary education affordable. Labor will introduce 23,000 new university places to give more people the opportunity to access tertiary education.

Labor’s changes will reinvigorate education, debate and engagement in our community and guarantee the necessary investment in our future generations.

Tomorrow offers an exciting opportunity for change in our community, and in our education system.

With the support of our Canberra community, those students hoping to start university next year will wake on Sunday to new opportunities, hope and excitement about their future education.

No longer will they face the prospect of being locked out because of insufficient places or a life time of debt, but rather a reinvigorated university sector and an exciting future in education.

Contact: Adina Cirson - 0418 488 295

5 October 2004 - Media Release

Politicisation of National Institutions to continue under Coalition

The Howard Government’s disgraceful political interference in the National Museum of Australia will be set in concrete if the Coalition is re-elected.

According to their Arts policy, the only funding is to modify the Museum’s exhibitions to fulfil the Howard Government political whitewashing agenda.

The National Portrait Gallery is the only new news in the Coalition's Arts policy.

Building a new building for the National Portrait Gallery without involving the National Gallery of Australia ignores the synergies that will come from a closer relationship between these two culturally significant institutions.

In contrast, Labor's Arts policy is to bring the two institutions closer together. This is a sensible and better plan which will ensure the long term future of their collections.

Misinformed scaremongering by ACT Liberal Senator Gary Humphries is designed to deflect attention from his faltering election campaign. Labor’s Arts policy is in the best interests of Australia’s cultural institutions and the ACT.

Contact: Adina Cirson - 0418 488 295

4 October 2004 - Media Release

Liberal's last minute Promises on Film and TV

After years of neglect and funding cuts, the Howard Government has finally discovered Australian film and television.

Labor has set the pace, and led on constructive policy for Australian film and television. Senator Kemp is trying to catch up at the last minute.

But there is no real commitment from the Howard Government: why else would they wait until four days before the election to release it?

In addition, the Coalition policy:

The Howard Government announcement fails to provide funds until years down the track when it will be too late to revive a sector already struggling to maintain critical mass, not to mention talented people.

In contrast, a Latham Labor Government will immediately inject $70 million, and will work with all stakeholders to develop a long term Blueprint for Growth for the Australian Film and Television sector.

There is no time to waste.

The slap-dash Liberal policy patches together parts of everyone's wish list without saying where the funding is coming from.

Senator Kemp’s announcement has all the hallmarks of a 'non-core' promise used as filler in a weak Coalition arts policy a few days out from election day.

Contact:  Adina Cirson on 0418 488 295

4 October 2004 - Joint Media Release

Senator Kate Lundy; Annette Ellis - Member for Canberra; Bob McMullan - Member for Fraser

Humphries hides as Liberals back to their dirty tricks of '96

Gary Humphries has once again been forced to backtrack and hide as the Howard Government takes another massive swipe at Canberra.

The Howard Government has launched another assault on the Federal Public Service through their announcement to fund part of a non-related Liberal policy by cutting jobs in Canberra.

The Liberals will do this by increasing from 1 percent to 1.25 percent, the 'efficiency dividend'.  This will require each agency and department to deliver this 'saving' to Treasury each financial year. This equates to real budget cuts of $240 million which will mean job cuts in the Commonwealth public sector. This blanket approach to an efficiency dividend is lazy and vindictive.

This shows that the Liberals are back to their dirty tricks of 1996.

In 1996 the Howard Government used an ‘efficiency dividend’ to impose massive across-the-board cuts to the public sector. Over 30,000 jobs were lost and the local economy, local small businesses and home-owners paid a big price.

Gary Humphries has wanted to make jobs a focus of his campaign, but he has cried wolf on local jobs once too often – and his Liberal mates Mr Howard and Mr Costello represent the wolf that has now turned on the hapless and ineffective Humphries and really bitten into Canberra jobs.

Combined with the debacle about the funding for the Australian National University, this shows that having Gary Humphries advocating your case is a guarantee for a bad outcome.

Contact: Adina Cirson (Lundy)- 0418 488 295