BY STUART MUNCKTON
The November 28 Australian reported that federal education minister Brendan Nelson has watered down legislation attacking the higher education system in a bid to get it through the Senate.
Labor, the Greens and the Democrats had vowed the block the legislation as it stood, leaving the Coalition government needing the support of the four independent senators to get it passed — an unlikely scenario without significant compromise.
The opposition shown by non-government senators to the original legislative proposals was a reflection of the strong opposition to them among the general population, particularly among university staff and students.
The concessions offered by Nelson are aimed at weakening this opposition. According to the Australian, Nelson is offering to give an extra $200 million to universities in funding, with targeted funding increases for regional universities, and to increase the income threshold for Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS) repayments to $33,150 per annum.
However, Nelson is refusing to back down on one of the most regressive aspects of the package. In order to access the $404 million increase in funding offered by the government, universities would still be required to offer individual employment contracts to university staff.
In addition, the education minister is to retain the right to veto courses he/she does not like by refusing to offer HECS places, although such a veto would now have to be approved by federal parliament.
Nelson has stated that media reports that he was willing to limit fee increases allowed by universities to 15%, instead of the original 30%, were not correct.
To its shame, the Australian Vice-Chancellors Committee has backed Nelson's package and is urging the Senate to pass it. The National Union of Students, on the other hand, has retained its opposition to the entire package and has criticised the position taken by the AVCC.
There is simply no reason to abandon outright opposition. The concessions made by Nelson are simply tinkering around the edges of a package that amounts to the most significant attack on the higher education system for years. Anything Nelson backs down on now in order to get the numbers in the Senate will simply be re-introduced later on.
Nelson has also made it crystal clear that the attacks on workers' rights to organise are not negotiable. He explained to ABC radio's November 28 World Today program that "one of the key things, in terms of making Australia's universities world-class, isn't just about putting more public money into them, it also means changing the way in which they are run".
Nelson's package is rotten to its core. The fact that he has had to abandon some its worst aspects is testimony to the strength of community opposition and anger over the attacks. This should give supporters of public education heart to keep pushing for a complete rejection of the package. Supporters of public education should keep organising against the package and demand its complete rejection by the Senate.
The concessions offered are proof that the Coalition government can be defeated on this one.
[Stuart Munckton is the national co-ordinator of the socialist youth organisation Resistance. Visit <http://www.resistance.org.au>.]
From Green Left Weekly, December 3, 2003.
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