Unis withdraw support for higher ed reform

ONE of the Abbott Government’s key reforms appears to have been thrown into further doubt after some key supporters withdrew their support.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 27: Prime Minister Tony Abbott is escorted to his seat whilst attending the funeral of former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser on March 27, 2015 in Melbourne, Australia. Australia's three term prime minister Fraser died at the age of 84 after a brief illness on March 20, 2015. (Theo Karanikos-Pool/Getty Images)

THE federal government’s plans to deregulate university fees have been thrown into further doubt after leading universities withdrew their support for the reform plans.

The Group of Eight leading universities says the original intention of deregulation has been lost because of a series of compromises by Education Minister Christopher Pyne to win over hostile crossbench senators.

The group’s chief executive Vicki Thomson told The Australian any package passed by the Senate would be so highly compromised that it could no longer accept it.

In comments to Sky News this morning, Ms Thomson said that the organisation was not “turning on” the government’s reforms but could not support changes to the reform package that may be necessary to get it passed.

The Go8 now wants a full “depoliticised” review of sustainable, long-term funding options for both teaching and research.

But in a series of tweets this morning, Mr Pyne did not seem inclined to withdraw the package.

“The higher education sector has faced 33 reviews since 1950 and another review is not a substitute for action,” Mr Pyne wrote.

In another tweet, Mr Pyne describes the opposition as being “hyperbole from obscurantists” and insists that the “Go8 supports the Coalition’s higher education reforms”.

RELATED: Pyne says he will not walk away from uni reforms

The government had planned intended to take the reform package back to the Senate for a third time during the winter sitting period with some changes to appeal to the crossbenchers.

The Go8 supports the Coalition's higher education reforms - their statement says so. Hyperbole from obscurantists can't change that #auspol

— Christopher Pyne (@cpyne) March 30, 2015

The higher education sector has faced 33 reviews since 1950 and another review is not a substitute for action #auspol

— Christopher Pyne (@cpyne) March 30, 2015

The Go8 has previously supported deregulation of university fees, and urged the Senate to pass the reform earlier this month.

In a media statement on March 17 it said the government’s decision to delink its 20 per cent funding cuts for Australia's universities from fee deregulation should provide assurances that there would not be exorbitant increases in fees for students.

“The fact is there are now no impediments to passing this legislation and the refusal to do so will have long-lasting repercussions for students, and the Australian economy. We desperately need a long-term sustainable solution to current funding problems,” Ms Thomson said at the time.

But in a comments published in The Australian today, Ms Thomson said that the Senate had rejected the package they supported.

“If it is prepared to accept a package, we are concerned it would be so highly compromised that we would be back here in a couple of years debating the same things because the funding problem won’t go away,” she said.

Mr Pyne most recently split the reform package to try and get it passed, removing a 20 per cent cut in government funding and a link to scientific research funding.

Afterwards he conducted an interview on Sky News that went viral in which he described himself as a “fixer”.

Originally published as Unis withdraw support for higher ed reform