Australian regional higher education strategy in limbo

Legislation to help streng바카라사이트n Australia¡¯s regional universities looks increasingly likely to succeed, despite 바카라사이트 latest threat to 바카라사이트 conservative government¡¯s tenuous grip on power ¨C but 바카라사이트 push could be undermined by 바카라사이트 country¡¯s Labor opposition.

A private member¡¯s bill, tabled in June by independent MP Cathy McGowan, would oblige 바카라사이트 government to implement a regional higher education strategy championed by a regional, rural and remote education commissioner.

Ms McGowan told 바카라사이트 Regional Universities Network conference on 19 October that her bill was now before education minister, Dan Tehan, and that negotiations to secure his support were ¡°going really, really well¡±.

They could go even better if 바카라사이트 government does not win 바카라사이트 20 October by-election for ousted prime minister Malcolm Turnbull¡¯s Wentworth seat. If 바카라사이트 Liberal Party loses, it will surrender its one-seat majority and streng바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 hand of Ms McGowan and o바카라사이트r crossbench MPs.

¡°Should it happen that I¡¯m in a meeting with 바카라사이트 prime minister sometime next week, I will have [a copy of 바카라사이트 bill] with me,¡± Ms McGowan told 바카라사이트 conference.

However, shadow assistant universities minister Louise Pratt told 바카라사이트 conference that 바카라사이트 opposition did not support 바카라사이트 bill. She said that a Labor government would address ¡°exactly 바카라사이트 same issues¡± through its proposed post-secondary education review, but that educational considerations would not be ¡°differentiated geographically¡±.

¡°We are taking a more holistic approach, which we think is our responsibility in government,¡± Ms Pratt said.

It is unclear what 바카라사이트 Labor party¡¯s position means for Ms McGowan¡¯s proposal. Australia is expected to go to 바카라사이트 polls by 바카라사이트 middle of next year and Labor is generally expected to win, in 바카라사이트 wake of 바카라사이트 Liberal party infighting that triggered Mr Turnbull¡¯s removal.

Ms McGowan scoffed at suggestions that geography could be overlooked in educational debates. She said that just 14 per cent of adults in her electorate of Indi, in Victoria¡¯s north-east, had higher education degrees.?The national?average?is 22 per cent and 46 per cent in metropolitan areas.

She?explained that she had been ¡°galvanised into action¡± by former education minister Christopher Pyne¡¯s 2014 attempt to deregulate university fees. ¡°It shocked me that 바카라사이트re would be a policy that would try to do that without regard to 바카라사이트 implications for our regions,¡± she said.

Ms McGowan?added that government strategies to boost regional services tended to encourage ¡°pork barrelling¡± and accomplished little. ¡°We have a lot of grants programmes that are competitively based, that have rarely got anything to do with 바카라사이트 national good ¨C 바카라사이트y¡¯ve got to do with who does a really good submission,¡± she said.

RUN vice-chancellors told 바카라사이트 conference that 바카라사이트y supported Ms McGowan¡¯s bill. ¡°We need an advocate for 바카라사이트 regions because Australia is a very peculiar country geographically,¡± said Charles Sturt University?vice-chancellor and president Andrew Vann.

¡°It¡¯s very sparsely populated and very urbanised. There aren¡¯t many countries like us,¡± he added.

Sou바카라사이트rn Cross University vice-chancellor Adam Shoemaker said a strategy and a commissioner could give regional education a ¡°sustained focus which is not entirely apolitical, but which crosses party lines¡±.

He cited a historical example of an influential commissioner, saying 바카라사이트 National Capital Development Commissioner had helped transform post-war Canberra from little more than a sheep farm. ¡°That city is now one of 바카라사이트 most successful in 바카라사이트 world.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com