Parliamentary Speeches
Transcript: Joint Press Conference with Professor Ian Chubb AC Australian National University
17 Aug 2009KATE ELLIS: Well thank you very much for coming down here this morning. I am delighted to get another chance to visit ANU and have a discussion with Vice Chancellor Ian Chubb particularly about the importance legislation that we have before the Senate this week in reforming student services on campus. And undoing some of the damage that was caused by previous government's extreme VSU legislation.
That we of course know if that this legislation stripped $170 million out of university budgets and that is having a devastating impact on campuses right around the country.
We've all heard about support services that have shut down, about price increases that have hit students but we've also heard about the indirect consequences of this legislation. Namely that at university, where they are doing everything they can to maintain services for students, they're having to redirect those funds from out of other budgets, whether they be teaching and learning budgets or research budgets, and that in itself is having an impact on the education experience that can be offered to both Australian and overseas students. We also know that overseas students are incredibly important to Australian universities. In 2008, over $15 billion was generated through overseas students in Australia.
And I've heard first hand from Vice Chancellors that the previous government's reforms and their voluntary student unionism legislation have in fact had a devastating impact on their ability to attract and to support overseas students. And because they haven't been able to offer the same well-rounded education experience that we know is so very important.
So today I'm urging all Senators to get onboard and support the Government's sensible reforms that we're putting forward so we can better support both Australian universities, domestic students and the ability to continue to attract overseas students.
I'm going to invite Vice Chancellor Chubb to say a few words on that in a moment but I'm wanted to add something on the child care debate which has dominated some media this morning. Of course, we've seen a whole range of stories come out today.
What I want to make very clear is that this government is unapologetically committed to affordable, accessible and quality child care for Australian families.
We've already acted in this regard both in investing over $1 billion more than the previous government into child care and early education services. We've also of course, increased the child care rebate to 50 per cent to support Australian families' and the accessibility of child care in this country.
We are now going through a quality reform agenda.
And we have been quite upfront with the Australia people and Australian families about what that means. We've heard directly from Australian families through a recent survey that one of the number one priorities of parents who are using child care services is quality reform and particularly better child to staff ratios in child care centres.
Which is one of the reasons why we've put out a range of options for Australian families, for the Australian child care sector and I want to stress that no decisions have been made about this reform going forward. We are relying upon the consultations and the feedback that we receive through that. But of course, when you're looking at reforms of ratios, when you're looking at reforms of qualifications of child care workers, there are cost implications of that. We're being clear with the Australian people about that. We're going to continue to consult to hear the views of parents and we also make very clear that any cost implication, 50 per cent of those will be borne by the Government through the 50 per cent child care rebate.
I might hand over to Ian first, and then we can follow up on that if you like.
IAN CHUBB: Well, with respect to this legislation, I support it totally. Actually most of my colleagues, most of us, when the previous government passed its legislation we said it was silly and destructive. I think the proof of that pudding is now available for the eating. It has been damaging. And we think it would be silly and destructive not to support the present legislation. So we hope that it passes the Parliament and we can begin to implement it and reinstate some of the very valuable services that universities must provide if they are to be simply more than some machine where we bring students in one end and put them out the other end three years later with a lot more knowledge, but not a lot more than that.
So the opportunity to provide our facilities, services, to provide our students of all persuasions and all backgroundsindeed all interests to participate in those extra socialising activities that are an important part of an individual's development is something that we see as critical to universities and we think that having to sacrifice some activities in order to sustain even minimal services is not where the higher education system should be.
So we support it and we support it unequivocally. We hope that it passes the Parliament and we get to implement it.
REPORTER: Minister, even after the child care rebate is taken into account, care, can you guarantee that there won't be further out-of-pocket expenses for parents under the Government's plan?
KATE ELLIS: What we've said consistently is of course that there are cost implications of changes to staff qualifications and cost implications of changes to staff to child ratios. So we've been up front about that from the beginning. What we are doing now is going out and consulting with Australian parents right around the nation. We've put forward different options and we've been upfront about what the cost implications of what each option are. I stress that we are not making any decisions on this without continuing to consult with Australian parents.
But I have to say that one piece of feedback that we keep getting is that Australian families want to be assured of the quality when they drop their child off at child care. That's why we are pursuing national standards, national reforms, so we can make sure that every Australian child is getting quality child care, yet that it remains accessible for those families.
REPORTER: [inaudible]
KATE ELLIS: Well, a couple of things that I want to stress. One, we've been upfront about the different options and the cost implications of those. Two, any increases in costs that results from this quality reform agenda 50 per cent of that will be met by the Australian Government as a result of our commitment to raise the child care rebate to 50 per cent.
And the third thing is of course, no decisions have been made. I'll also stress that any of these cost implications have been staggered and are actually rolled out over a ten year period in some regards. So don't want us to beat this up but at the same time, we're being upfront with Australian families, saying we are pursuing quality reform. We want the best child care sector in the world. And that's why we're engaging, with the dialogue, with Australian families so that in partnership, we can deliver that.
REPORTER: You made a big campaign on easing cost of living pressures though [inaudible] promise?
KATE ELLIS: As I said, we have injected more funding into the child care sector than certainly the previous government did. Over $1 billion more than the previous government. That's also that's why we acted in last year's Budget to increase the child care rebate so that 50 per cent of out-of-pocket expenses are met by the Australian Government. That's our commitment to working in partnership with Australian families to make sure that child care remains accessible.
REPORTER: Continuing with the theme of being upfront, how much do you reckon an average parent will be asked to pay more per year?
KATE ELLIS: Look, I don't want to pre-empt the consultations that are going on the at the moment. There are a range of different options going forward from very little change to quite extreme examples of qualifications and child-to-staff rations. So what we are doing at the moment in engaging&putting all of those options out there. We haven't made a final decision so I wouldn't want to pre-empt the consultations and feedback with Australian families.
REPORTER: Just on this higher education bill, are you prepared to negotiate given the Greens are going to put forward an amendment [inaudible] not going to support it?
KATE ELLIS: I remain hopeful of talking with all Senators to make sure that we secure passage of this legislation through the Parliament. I look forward to continuing to negotiate with them, but I do believe that what we've put forward is a sensible and a balanced approach and I think that it should be supported in its current form.
REPORTER: [inaudible]
KATE ELLIS: First of all, this money will not be going to student unions. It will be going to universities. Secondly, we've made incredible clear that this money will not be used for political proposes and this is a new way forward. It's a balanced approach. We also of course, have insisted that any universities who choose to implement a fee under this system will have to also put in place a deferred payment scheme, not hitting students upfront and having a cap of $250 where in the previous system we saw some fees that were far in excess of that.
REPORTER: If the Greens though, were to put forward an amendment that would give students more of say in how the money's used, would you be prepared to look at that and consider that?
KATE ELLIS: Look, we've been very clear that under this system, it's not a return to the past. We're not seeking to return to the compulsory student unionism arrangements of the past and we won't be accepting any amendments which aim to do that.
REPORTER: But this system doesn't actually allow students to choose what services they use, it's a cost [inaudible].
KATE ELLIS: We think it's absolutely appropriate that given it's the universities themselves that will be held accountable for making sure that the very strict guidelines on what the fee can be used for, are implemented, that it makes sense that the universities then have responsibility for ensuring that the fee is spent is line with those guidelines.
REPORTER: Are you prepared to see this bill potentially voted down then, if the Greens don't give way on their proposal?
KATE ELLIS: Well obviously, I certainly hope that we secure passage of this legislation through the Senate. I know how important it is to universities. I know how important it is to students. And we'll keep consulting with all the relevant Senators in line with trying to achieve that.
REPORTER: And the Coalition has already said 'no'?
KATE ELLIS: I've read a few statements along those lines, yes.