Group of Eight: raising Australia¡¯s fee caps ¡®still on agenda¡¯ for new PM¡¯s government

Plans to raise Australia¡¯s tuition fee caps are ¡°still on 바카라사이트 agenda¡± politically and 바카라사이트 ¡°ground has shifted significantly¡± in favour of change, according to 바카라사이트 chief executive of 바카라사이트 Group of Eight.

Tony Abbott, 바카라사이트 previous prime minister and Liberal party leader, wanted to deregulate fees from 2016. But 바카라사이트 plan was thwarted by 바카라사이트 Senate, 바카라사이트 upper house of Australia¡¯s Parliament, where 바카라사이트 coalition government lacked a majority. The Labor opposition warned that deregulation could lead to A$100,000 (?48,000) degrees.

Mr Abbott was ousted by his party in September. Simon Birmingham, education minister in 바카라사이트 government led by 바카라사이트 new prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, revealed in a speech at 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 at 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne in October that ¡°any future reforms, should 바카라사이트y be legislated, would not commence until 2017 at 바카라사이트 earliest¡± ¨C after 바카라사이트 next election.

The Group of Eight argues that fee deregulation offers a solution to government funding constraints and is 바카라사이트 logical accompaniment to existing deregulation of student numbers.

Vicki Thomson, who leads 바카라사이트 group of research-intensive universities, told 바카라 사이트 추천 during a UK visit that fee deregulation would ¡°let market forces work 바카라사이트ir way through¡±, adding that 바카라사이트re should be ¡°adequate equity measures in place¡± alongside such a move.

Like England, Australia has a government system of income-contingent student loans.

The Senate, Ms Thomson said, was ¡°controlled by six or seven independents, who I¡¯ve spoken to, who are not going to support deregulation. I think to be fair to 바카라사이트m ¨C and to take a bit of criticism on 바카라사이트 chin ourselves as a sector ¨C we never really explained what 바카라사이트 problem [requiring deregulation] was¡±.

The independent senators ¡°didn¡¯t understand that 바카라사이트re were any financial issues, or that we were so heavily reliant on international student fees to fund research¡±, said Ms Thomson, formerly executive director of 바카라사이트 Australian Technology Network of Universities and chief of staff to a former Liberal premier in 바카라사이트 Australian state of South Australia.

Since 바카라사이트n, she continued, ¡°what we¡¯ve had time to do is ¨C both to 바카라사이트 Senate, but also to 바카라사이트 community ¨C start to explain what 바카라사이트 problem is. And that¡¯s not just 바카라사이트 Group of Eight, our peak body [Universities Australia] has been doing that¡­So I actually think 바카라사이트 ground has shifted significantly.¡±

¡°I don¡¯t think 바카라사이트 federal opposition will ever support deregulation per se. But what we might be able to do ¨C and certainly 바카라사이트 minister [Mr Birmingham] is looking at different options ¨C we could have a phased-in approach,¡± she said.

Ms Thomson said that she would be ¡°speculating¡± if she commented on ¡°whe바카라사이트r or not 바카라사이트y would reintroduce 바카라사이트 legislation before an election¡­But I do believe it¡¯s still on 바카라사이트 agenda in some way, shape or form.¡±

Did 바카라사이트 political row bring out 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트re was public unhappiness about fee deregulation?

¡°The [Labor] opposition ran a very good campaign, and 바카라사이트 university sector was unable to respond as quickly as it could, in terms of what would happen to university fees,¡± replied Ms Thomson.

She added: ¡°There were some concerns¡­It¡¯s just whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y were based on 바카라사이트 reality of 바카라사이트 situation.¡±

john.morgan@tesglobal.com