Fiona Scott (Lindsay, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Most Australian universities are accepting their responsibilities with regard to the changes to the Higher Education Act. In fact, the University of Western Sydney was the first university in New South Wales to freeze its student fees for 2014 to ensure certainty for its students. This was a responsible move by the university and it is a strong indicator about how the sector will respond to the demand-driven and autonomous proposal by the government and assess and determine how they will maximise the opportunities presented in this amendment bill.

Aside from the opportunities that these reforms present Australian universities, I think it is critical to emphasise the benefits for Australian students. I have already commented that the competition enabled by these reforms will be a win for all students, and I believe it is important to highlight that, as is the case at the moment, students will not have to pay a single dollar up-front. Fees will be repayable when students are in the workforce earning a sustainable income.

The Australian HECS structure is to be commended. It has seen thousands of first-generation students, like myself, gain a higher education degree. The coalition, however, identified barriers to higher education and I am pleased that this amendment bill will go some way to overcoming these. The current arrangements disadvantage students who want to study sub-bachelor higher education qualifications such as diplomas, advanced diplomas and associate degrees. These provide excellent pathways to create opportunities for students needing time to develop both the skills and qualifications necessary for a bachelor's degree and many other tickets to jobs for work-ready graduates. I myself studied through the TAFE system. I worked full-time whilst I was studying through TAFE and, through the Western Sydney Institute of TAFE, was able to gateway into the University of Western Sydney, where I obtained a Bachelor of Business with a major in marketing.

I am proud to have come through the higher education system in this way and I am proud to be part of a government that seeks to support students by providing access to universities. We are also supporting students by providing HECS to subsidise students who seek these types of pathway qualifications. This move alone is expected to provide an additional 80,000 higher education opportunities for more students annually, with Commonwealth support by 2018.

Minister for Education and I anticipate that this move will overcome some of the disparity in my own electorate. During the consideration in detail in June I raised with the minister concerns I had about access to education in Western Sydney. For instance, in Glenmore Park in the south-west of Lindsay the median income for couple with children is $2,474, which is higher than the New South Wales average. Further, 33.5 per cent of people are attending some form of educational institution, be it primary, secondary or tertiary, and 11.1 per cent are currently enrolled in university or tertiary education.

To the west of my electorate is North St Marys, about 13 kilometres from Glenmore Park. The average income there for families with children is $1,935, which is $539 per week less than that of Glenmore Park and lower than the New South Wales average. In North St Marys, 33.8 per cent of people are attending an academic institution. Only 5.1 per cent of the community go on to tertiary education. Let me repeat: in Glenmore Park 11.1 per cent people are currently enrolled in tertiary education; in North St Marys that figure is 5.1 per cent—less than half as many. This is despite North St Marys being much closer to the local University of Western Sydney campus.

This added Commonwealth support for higher education is welcome news for the people of North St Marys, who will now have a greater opportunity to go on to university, should they choose to. Further to these measures, the new Commonwealth Scholarships scheme will promote access for students from disadvantaged backgrounds and ensure they share in the benefits of a deregulated environment. This will allow providers the flexibility to provide individual support tailored to the unique needs of students and is welcome news for aspiring students in communities like North St Marys.

There is a general consensus among those in the sector and the government that we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to shape an Australian higher education system that is sustainable, affordable and equitable in serving the best interests of our nation. As the Treasurer said on budget night, we should aspire to have a world-class tertiary education sector. By deregulating the sector, I believe we can achieve this and create a tertiary education sector that this country deserves. It is in this way that I commend the bill to the House. (Time expired)

See this speech in context