Back off or face mother of all protests, Christopher Pyne told

THE federal government is facing the “mother of all protests’’ if it pushes ahead with threats to cut university research funding.

THE federal government is facing the “mother of all protests’’ if it pushes ahead with threats to cut university research funding if other sector reforms fail to pass the Senate.

The opposition parties yesterday flagged a hostile response to the government if it fails to get its higher education reforms through the Senate, forcing it to pursue other savings.

Education Minister Christopher Pyne warned yesterday that further cuts could flow if the government failed to force through a reduction in the federal grant scheme.

Labor education spokesman Kim Carr said Mr Pyne’s threat was a “disgrace’’ and warned the opposition would not be intimidated.

Greens deputy leader Adam Bandt said yesterday the Prime Minister would pay a price if he cut university research.

“If Tony Abbott threatens cuts to research funding, he will be met with the mother of all protests,’’ Mr Bandt said.

Questioned by Andrew Bolt on yesterday’s Bolt Report, Mr Pyne conceded he could not rule out cuts to research if the Senate did not pass other savings in the form of the government’s proposed reductions to the grant scheme.

“The worst-case scenario, Andrew, is cuts without reform,” Mr Pyne said. “And I think the university sector gets that. And I want to work with the crossbenchers to make sure that we all understand the high stakes that we are playing for, and I’m sure that they understand that.

“And that’s why I believe our reforms will pass in the end, because I think we’ll all be able to work together to get a better future for our universities.

“What I want to see is the reduction in the commonwealth grant scheme by 20 per cent, but if that doesn’t happen, then universities will be able to use that … the fact that they have stopped that cut, they’ll be able to use that money for research.”

Additional reporting: AAP