Federal Member for Ballarat, Catherine King today slammed the Turnbull government for the damage it is inflicting on Australian universities and their students.
“The Liberal party wants to deregulate and Americanise our university system, and make students pay $100,000 for a degree”, Ms King said.
“Over the coming weeks as students return to university or begin new courses it is important to remember the additional challenges this will pose to students.
“This will put university out of the reach of many ordinary Australians who cannot afford such exorbitant fees at the same time they are trying to save to buy a house or start a family.
“That the Liberals want to make Australians get into massive debt to attend university while at the same time cutting tax for big business and the banks shows us exactly where their priorities lie.
“Labor understands that getting a great education is the ticket to a lifetime of opportunity. In regional areas in particular university is something that should be made easier to attend, not harder.
“Beyond providing education, our universities are research powerhouses, making discoveries and developing the industries of the future that will generate good, high paid jobs for a wide range of Australians.
“That’s why making university education accessible is critical to ensuring Australia has a strong economy with secure high paid jobs.
“Labor believes ability and hard work should determine whether you get into uni, not your bank balance.”
21 February 2017