Julie Collins (Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Regional Development and Local Government) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Acting Prime Minister. Does the Acting Prime Minister agree with an editorial from the Dubbo Daily Liberal today, which asks, in relation to the government's unfair university changes:

Where are the government MPs who should be protecting their regions?

Why are the Acting Prime Minister and his Nationals MPs failing to properly represent their electorates on these unfair changes? And when will they stand up to their Liberal colleagues?

Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for her question. I would just refer her back to budget night. On budget night the very first group to come out welcoming the government's decisions and changes to the university sector—the very first group—were the regional universities. They put out a press release on behalf of regional universities welcoming the changes—

Mr Brendan O'Connor interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Gorton!

Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

and their position has not changed. Yes, like all sectors, they would like to have some elements of the package a little different than they are. But they have, in conjunction just in recent days with the Group of Eight, the biggest universities in the country, put out a joint statement, again calling on the parliament to pass the changes, recognising that these changes need to be made and putting together a joint position with the biggest universities in the land.

Of course, regional universities play a particularly important role in regional communities. Whether it be in Dubbo or whatever other regional city, they add a dimension to the whole community. The regional universities are particularly good at providing the skilled professionals for their local areas—the teachers, the pharmacists, the nurses et cetera. And they have done very well in that regard.

The important thing about the regional universities is that their students tend to stay and work in regional communities. Indeed, I met with the regional universities only a week or so ago and they made the point to me that 75 per cent of their students stay and work in their local communities. They know they have a particular role to fill and it is a role they fill well. Many of them have been leaders, particularly in innovation. The minister referred briefly to Central Queensland University, an example of a university that reaches out and is imaginative. It is this kind of vision that is going to ensure that the regional universities do well under these changes. They will continue to expand, not just in regional communities but in their urban campuses as well—not to mention in the education services they provide around the world.

I will stand up for regional universities. I will make sure that they get a fair go—and so will my colleagues. We will have an education system, a university system, that delivers for all Australians, wherever they live.