Tony Abbott issues warning for ‘fair go’ on school funding as students disrupt Simon Birmingham’s speech

STUDENTS protesting a $2.8b cut to university funding and fee hikes have been dragged out by police after one threw papers into Simon Birmingham’s face.

FORMER prime minister Tony Abbott has made his warnings clear on the Turnbull government’s Gonski 2.0 education funding overhaul, talking up the need for “a fair go for low-fee private schools”.

Mr Abbott tweeted his thoughts about the schools funding changes after Educaton Minister Simon Birmingham had ended his address to the National Press Club in Canberra, where he was interrupted by students who threw papers at him during his speech.

Mr Abbott told his Twitter followers about his chat with the National Catholic Education Commission, Tim McDonald.

Mr Abbott said good teachers, high standards, principal autonomy and parental involvement were “the keys to a good education”.

Good talk with Tim McDonald of the National Catholic Education Commission about the importance of a fair go for low fee private schools 1/3

— Tony Abbott (@TonyAbbottMHR) May 4, 2017

Also talked about importance of good teachers, high standards, principal autonomy and parental involvement: the keys to a good education 2/3

— Tony Abbott (@TonyAbbottMHR) May 4, 2017

His comments come as Government MPs are divided over the education funding changes. Sydney Archbishop Anthony Fisher warned that Catholic schools could face forced closures, larger class sizes and higher fees.

But Senator Birmingham has said he will not be “bullied” or “blackmailed”.

Earlier, students protesting a $2.8 billion cut to university funding and fee hikes disrupted a major speech by Senator Birmingham.

Protesters had to be dragged out of the National Press Club in Canberra after one student rushed the stage and threw papers into the Minister’s face while others chanted “no cuts, no fees, no corporate universities”.

Senator Birmingham was largely unruffled by the interruption to his speech from students from the Australian National University Students’ Association, which covered the shape of Australia’s education sector in 2017 as well as the reasons behind major changes to university and private and public schools funding.

“A little bit of side entertainment there, ladies and gentlemen,” he said.

.@Birmo's #NPC speech is interrupted by protesters, angered by the government's new university policy #auspol pic.twitter.com/FYnSax7W5z

— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) May 4, 2017

“I think there has probably not been a year in the last few decades when we haven’t seen university students protesting at some stage.

“It is part of the rite of passage of university students nowadays.”

During the speech, Senator Birmingham said Australia’s university sector was modern and booming but “success has come at a cost to taxpayers”.

“Since 2009, the money spent on university places has increased sharply, by 71 per cent, and the value of student loans has almost tripled,” he said.

Protesters at the National Press Club clashed with police during Simon Birmingham's address. Picture: Gary Ramage

“If we don’t take action, around one-quarter of the current $50 billion of outstanding student debt would go unpaid.

“We must address these pressures now, so that future generations can enjoy the benefits of affordable, world-class higher education, without any threat of upfront fees.”

Reforms announced earlier this week, which would see the cost of degrees increase and university students forced to pay back loans earlier, “struck a balance” for students and taxpayers.

A protester has rushed the stage during Simon Birmingham's address to the Press Club in Canberra. Picture: Peter Jean

ANU third-year Arts student Con Karavias, who was among the protesters, said the Minister’s stance was hypocritical and unfair.

“We’re furious that the Government is trying to slash education funding,” Mr Karavias said.

“Simon Birmingham was a supporter of free education when he was at university,” he told News Corp.

“This just shows the bankrupt values of the Government.”

Mr Karavias refused to comment on whether throwing papers in the Minister’s face hurt or helped the co-ordinated national student campaign to stop the cuts to universities.

He urged other students to join the national protest on May 17, saying mass demonstrations in 2014 had prevented university deregulation.

“We’re calling on other students first and foremost but also on Labor, the Greens and the crossbench to block these cuts,” he said.

He said there were “plenty of other places” the Government could make savings, citing the recent tax cuts for businesses.

SCHOOLS FUNDING FIGHT

Meanwhile, Malcolm Turnbull is facing a Budget day fight from within the Government over his $18.6 billion shake-up of schools funding.

A number of Coalition MPs fearing a backlash from private schools in their electorates have spoken out against the funding overhaul.

Mr Abbott publicly questioned the changes yesterday, saying the Liberal Party’s traditional position was to promote freedom of choice in education for parents.

Mr Abbott’s comments come after Catholic education’s peak body warned parents could expect fee increases because of the funding overhaul.

Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott warns there will be a party room debate over school funding changes. Picture: Kym Smith

He warned the policy would be “pretty vigorously debated” when Coalition MPs held their regular partyroom meeting next week ahead of the budget.

“I just know that it’s been almost an article of faith in our party since the time of Menzies that we were the party that promoted parental choice in education,” Mr Abbott told 2GB radio.

“We were the party that ­promoted choice in healthcare and I think it’s very important­ we maintain our trad­itional position as the party which respects freedom of choice in both education and health.’’

Under the changes, more than 9000 schools nationally will receive more federal money than they were expecting by 2027, while 353 schools will receive less.

The Turnbull Government expects that only 24 private schools will lose money in real terms.

Other Coalition MPs whose electorates contain a significant amount of families in Catholic education told The Australian anonymously that the funding shake-up would be a “big problem”.

One Liberal told the publication the education funding changes were ­“absolutely outrageous” and more voters would “abandon” the party if the Prime Minister and the Education Minister did not reconsider.

“How many times can we ­attack our own people? We whack them on super, on pensions, we whack them with income tax increases and now we want to whack our aspirationals who want to send their kids to school,” the MP said.

Malcolm Turnbull and Education Minister Simon Birmingham. Picture: AAP

“More of our people will abandon us. They’ll either say, ‘We may as well go to Labor because this mob aren’t doing anything for us’, or they’ll drift to other right-wing parties like Cory Bernardi’s.”

Despite the internal opposition, it’s likely the funding overhaul could pass Parliament over the next month.

The Australian Greens said yesterday they want an end to the political “argy-bargy” over schools funding.

Opposition leader Bill Shorten has continued to attack the funding overhaul as a $22 billion cut to schools.

Mr Shorten also echoed Catholic education’s warnings the funding changes would lead to fee hikes for parents.

He denied Labor’s plan for schools was not fully funded in the budget when it was in government as “Liberal propaganda”.

“That’s just not true at all,” he said. “The schools know it is not good for them and if they’re saying to us this is not good for them, I’m on the side of the school, the kids and the parents.”

He was speaking at a Holy Family School in Melbourne which Minister Birmingham pointed out would get an extra $4.3 million over the next 10 years.

Earlier, Shadow Education Minister Tanya Plibersek told ABC Labor’s plan was funded through structural changes to the budget including means-testing Family Tax Benefits and private health insurance.

“We made some big changes to our budget so we could afford both the needs-based funding system and the National Disability Insurance Scheme, which also included an increase in the Medicare levy to pay for it,” she said.

Originally published as Tony Abbott issues warning for ‘fair go’ on school funding as students disrupt Simon Birmingham’s speech