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Kate is passionate about contributing to public debate on a wide range of important issues. Here are some of the issues she has touched on in the past.
- Should successful athletes have to pay back the AIS 10 Jun 2009
- Let's give youth voice now for a better future 12 Oct 2008
- Organ donation it's the greatest gift of all 21 Sep 2008
- Is safe sex message falling on deaf ears 31 Aug 2008
- Grassroots funding is key to Olympic glorys 10 Aug 2008
- Easy to overlook big issue of homelessness 20 Jul 2008
- Trailblazer Natasha leaves lasting legacy 29 Jun 2008
- Heavy hitters boost our World Cup hopes 01 Jun 2008
- Youth Forum Discussion Paper 17 May 2008
- We can't take sport for granted 11 May 2008
- Women truly can do anything be anything 20 Apr 2008
- Let the Games begin with all our athletes 30 Mar 2008
- Proud past but future a challenge for women 09 Mar 2008
- Young people will be heard at highest level 17 Feb 2008
- Our nation has changed dramatically in three weeks 16 Dec 2007
- Mobile Phone Towers 23 Sep 2007
- Bradken Foundry 01 Jul 2007
- Full Fees 03 Jun 2007
- Eating Disorders 17 Dec 2006
- Iraq 27 Jul 2006
- Electoral Laws 26 Jun 2006
- Dental 08 Jan 2006
- Make Poverty History 18 Sep 2005
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Media Releases
2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 200820 Aug 2009 - National Party Abandons Regional Students
The National Party has been caught out blatantly making things up in a desperate attempt to justify their sell out of regional students in the Senate this week.
National Party Senators failed to support the Higher Education Legislation Amendment (Student Services and Amenities and Other Measures) Bill 2009 which aimed to rebuild important student services and amenities on regional campuses.
Under the previous Government close to $170 million has been slashed out of university funding resulting in the decline and in some instances complete closure of vital services and amenities.
This morning on ABC New England radio, National Party Senator John William's attempted to justify his vote against the Bill by claiming that the Minister had the power to '...approve additional amenities and services that may be funded with the $250 fee.'
This is completely wrong.
The Bill is very clear that any revenue raised by universities from the fee - can only be used to deliver services and amenities outlined in the Fee Guidelines.
These Guidelines require the approval of the House of Representatives and the Senate and could only be changed with further agreement by both Houses.
Claims by Senator Williams that universities could only charge part time and external students the full fee are also untrue.
The Bill allows universities to charge a lower fee for particular groups of students, including part time and external students.
Rather than trying to justify their unjustifiable decision, the Nationals must stop their fiction and hypocritical attack on the Government.
As recent as November last year Senator Barnaby Joyce said that, "VSU has been a fiasco for regional universities."
In 2005 Senator Joyce also said that he believed that universities "should have the right to raise a fee to support facilities intrinsically part of a university."
A position that has been backed by Senator Williams who also said on radio today that "in the Nationals we support in principle a levy being placed on students."
"For the benefit of Regional students - I call on the National Party to stop putting the rabble of the Coalition first and start delivering for the regional students and communities they claim to represent," Ms Ellis said.