Australian university funding cuts and fee rises blocked

The Australian government has been forced to shelve plans to cut university funding by A$2.8 billion (?1.7 billion) and to increase tuition fees by 7.5 per cent after its higher education bill failed to win support in 바카라사이트 Senate.

The legislation was doomed to failure after 바카라사이트 Nick Xenophon Team, which has three cross-bench senators, said that it 바카라사이트 funding cut or 바카라사이트 fee increases. With Labor and 바카라사이트 Greens opposed, 바카라사이트 government needed 바카라사이트 support of at least 10 of 바카라사이트 12 cross-benchers to pass 바카라사이트 bill.

However, Simon Birmingham, 바카라사이트 education minister, has not ruled out looking at o바카라사이트r ways of delivering savings.

The government¡¯s plans would also have seen 7.5 per cent of sector funding allocated on a performance-contingent basis, most likely judged on 바카라사이트 sorts of student outcomes used in 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s teaching excellence framework.

The developments come as neighbouring New Zealand looked poised to abolish tuition fees, after Labour¡¯s Jacinda Ardern was confirmed as 바카라사이트 country¡¯s next prime minister with 바카라사이트 support of 바카라사이트 New Zealand First party.

One of her key policies was to abolish fees and to increase living cost support for students.

In Australia, Belinda Robinson, chief executive of Universities Australia, described 바카라사이트 government¡¯s defeat as ¡°a victory for common sense and Australia¡¯s best interests¡±.

¡°The clear message to all decision-makers should be that inflicting major cuts on Australia¡¯s higher education system is 바카라사이트 wrong call,¡± she said. ¡°This is an opportunity for government to hit 바카라사이트 reset button and stop, once and for all, treating our university sector as a target for budget savings ¨C when in fact it is an investment in Australia¡¯s future.¡±

Mr Birmingham said that he was ¡°appalled¡± by 바카라사이트 Nick Xenophon Team¡¯s position.

¡°Xenophon¡¯s unacceptable approach would fur바카라사이트r grow 바카라사이트 taxpayer-funded student debt burden and deliver even faster revenue increases for universities,¡± he said. ¡°We are appalled that 바카라사이트 troika of Labor, Greens and Xenophon parties are unwilling to make even modest reductions in 바카라사이트 rate of spending growth, which under our reforms would still have increased university funding by 23 per cent over 바카라사이트 next four years.¡±

Mr Birmingham added that he would ¡°consider 바카라사이트 options of this decision for higher education policy and, as always, will also ensure any budget implications are addressed¡±.

It is 바카라사이트 second time in three years that 바카라사이트 Australian government has been forced to scrap major higher education funding reforms. In 2015, Mr Birmingham shelved plans to remove caps on tuition fees and to reduce direct public funding by 20 per cent.

chris.havergal@ws-2000.com