Higher Education:
Howard Government facing defeat in Senate

by Jules Andrews

The Howard Government is facing another defeat in the Senate, 
with its Backing Australia's Future legislation on higher 
education most likely to be voted down. A Senate Committee Report 
released this week says in its first recommendation that: "The 
bill is so badly flawed, at both a philosophical and technical 
level that it should not be given a second reading".

The Senate Committee was so derisive of the Bill they renamed 
their report Hacking Australia's Future.

A further 39 recommendations were then made "should the Senate 
consent to give the bill a second reading", which stripped, 
rewrote or rejected every element of the Bill.

The Bill outlined the Howard Government's agenda for Higher 
Education in Australia, with a massive shift from public to 
private funding.

The four main components of the Bill attacked in the Report were:

* Changes to student funding arrangements which allow for a 30 
percent increase in student fees and the opening up of more full-
fee students places — with a loophole allowing for 100 percent 
full-fee students in some courses.

* Forcing universities to employ staff on individual contracts 
(AWAs), cutting wages and conditions and removing what remains of 
job security.

* The Government gaining unprecedented powers to both deregulate 
the "market" and yet interfere in university governance.

The Report states: "The committee considers the policy to be 
unconscionable in almost every respect.

"At its core is the intention of diminishing the role and status 
of universities through heavy-handed regulation. Universities are 
to be reduced to being 'higher education providers': selling a 
service to a purchaser, the Government, on terms dictated by the 
Government, and at the non-negotiable price the Government is 
willing to pay.

"While the Government proclaims its interest in quality, 
diversity, equity and sustainability, universities will be 
subject to treatment which will diminish their academic freedom 
and restrict their course offerings as well as reducing access 
for poorer people."

Greens Senator Kerry Nettle said, "The take-home message from the 
report is that the Government has completely failed to gauge the 
mood of the Higher Education community, instead delivering a 
package that has been universally rejected".

The Greens, Democrats and ALP have all indicated strongly they 
will vote against the Bill, and the Government is now negotiating 
with the four independent Senators.