Australian government's bid to uncap fees falls again

The bill, which also included plans for a 20 per cent cut to 바카라사이트 public subsidy of tuition costs and 바카라사이트 extension of student loans to private colleges and foundation degrees, prompted widespread fears of spiralling tuition fees, especially at 바카라사이트 elite Group of Eight universities.?

Most vice-chancellors supported deregulation, but opposed 바카라사이트 cuts.

In recent weeks, Australia¡¯s minister for education, Christopher Pyne, said that if 바카라사이트 reforms were not passed he would cut funding for Australian large science facilities, known as 바카라사이트 National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy, which employ 1,700 scientists.

However, when 바카라사이트 crossbenchers who hold 바카라사이트 balance of power in 바카라사이트 Senate refused to budge, Mr Pyne withdrew his threat and made a last-minute offer to move 바카라사이트 cuts to a separate bill, to be debated at a later date. ?

However, senators voted by 34 votes to 30 on 17 March against allowing a second reading of 바카라사이트 bill, which would have allowed amendments to be considered.

An earlier version of 바카라사이트 bill was defeated in 바카라사이트 Senate last December, but it was reintroduced into parliament 바카라사이트 following day.

Mr Pyne has now vowed to reintroduce 바카라사이트 bill for a third time.

¡°Few dispute that without reform, Australia¡¯s higher education system will steadily decline¡­We will not give up. This reform is too important,¡± he said.

Belinda Robinson, chief executive of Universities Australia, said 바카라사이트 Senate¡¯s decision ¡°opens 바카라사이트 way for a national discussion on a long-term, sustainable and predictable funding model for university education and research. Our universities, and 바카라사이트 hopes and aspirations of our children, can no longer afford to be treated as a convenient political football.¡±

She added that 바카라사이트 debate had ¡°achieved a remarkable political consensus on one critical factor: that 바카라사이트 current state of public investment in universities is insufficient for maintaining and enhancing 바카라사이트 quality expected by students, employers and 바카라사이트 community.¡±

Vicki Thomson, chief executive of 바카라사이트 Group of Eight, said 바카라사이트 Senate had ¡°let Australia down¡± by failing to fix 바카라사이트 ¡°broken¡± funding system.

Peter Lee, chair of 바카라사이트 Regional Universities Network, urged politicians to ¡°resolve this impasse as a matter of priority¡±.

But Jeannie Rea, president of 바카라사이트 National Tertiary Education Union, welcomed 바카라사이트 bill¡¯s defeat.

¡°All senators who voted against 바카라사이트 government¡¯s unfair, unprincipled and unsustainable higher education policies have earned 바카라사이트 gratitude of university students, staff and communities; and future students,¡± she said.

paul.jump@tesglobal.com