Reinvest surplus in knowledge nation
15 November 2000
The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) has called on the Federal Government to use the larger than expected $4.3m surplus to reinvest in public education.
\"Investment in education will be a threshold issue for all parties at the next election\", Dr Carolyn Allport, NTEU National President said. \"There is growing recognition of the need to increase resources to our schools, TAFEs and universities and there is no better time to begin the repair process than now.
\"Cuts to education have had disastrous effects across the country. Australia is swimming hard against the international tide by reducing public investment, when most comparable nations have realised that education is the key to future prosperity.
\"Education is consistently the number one concern in opinion polls. Voters are fully aware of the importance of education in providing life opportunities. Combined with a growing understanding of the parlous state of public investment, education will be a powerful issue at the next election.
\"Suggestions from the Treasurer that the solution to the ‘brain drain’ is further cuts to the level of tax are misinformed. It is the lack of investment in core educational infrastructure and the inability to deliver competitive salaries which is driving some of our best minds overseas. Despite today’s surplus, Australia already has one of the lowest levels of tax in the OECD. Far from solving the ‘brain drain’, further cuts to the level of tax would worsen the problem by making it harder to fund adequate infrastructure.
\"The NTEU looks forward to commitments to increase public investment in education from all parties in the lead-up to the next election.\"