Pyne splits university bill as senate sweetener
Education Minister Christopher Pyne will split his contentious university reforms into two separate bills, separating $1.9 billion of savings from a plan to deregulate universities, in a bid to push the changes through the Senate.
āWe want to clear away any distractions or hurdles that stand in the path of the crossbenchers openly considering the governmentās deregulation agenda,ā he said.
Mr Pyne also confirmed $150 million in funding for the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Scheme (NCRIS) will continue for 12 months.
ā¢ Senators vow to block university deregulation
ā¢ Uncertainty in higher education āintolerableā
The two announcements from the Education Minister on Monday show the first signs of change from the hard-line rhetoric he has held throughout this debate.
Speaking on the ABCās InsidersĀ on Sunday, Mr Pyne indicated an all-or-nothing approach to the reforms.
āIām contemplating victory on Wednesday,ā he said on Sunday.
āThere are consequences for not voting for this reform, and thatās very important for the cross benchers to understand.ā
āThe consequences are that potentially 1700 researchers will lose their jobs.ā
The new bills are to be debated Tuesday for a vote Wednesday.
The change comes hours after newly independent former Palmer Senator Glenn Lazarus said he wouldnāt vote for the tied bill.
āThereās just no real reason for him to come and talk to me, because thatās the one thing I will not vote ā¦ for, is the deregulation of its fees,ā Mr Lazarus said on Radio National Breakfast.
Whilst Mr Pyne announced the split and Parliament debated the bill, students around Australia posted photos to Twitter of themselves chained to monuments with the hashtag #unchainourfuture.
Student opposition to the proposed deregulation has been vehement since it was first suggested in the 2014 budget.
Debt is not liberating @TonyAbbottMHR! #unchainourfuture pic.twitter.com/nVoI0Exezm
ā #FreeEducation (@Stu4FreeEd) March 15, 2015
Students locked onto VCās office at Usyd to protest fee deregulation #rekillthebill #unchainourfuture #freeeducation pic.twitter.com/ZgCWw78Gg5
ā Amy Thomas (@amyclairethomas) March 16, 2015
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