Government to blame for funding delays in Innovation Legislation
29 June 2001
The Federal Government is being urged to consider amendments proposed by the Senate to legislation which appropriates over $100m for universities and institutes a loan scheme for postgraduate students paying full fees.
Dr Carolyn Allport, President of the NTEU, said the Government\'s refusal to agree to splitting the legislation into its component parts in order to consider the amendments could cause unnecessary delays in the flow of funding to students and universities.
`This legislation is unusual in that it deals with several different areas of Government funding - schools, universities, postgraduate loans and the Australian Research Council. It\'s not surprising that the Senate should wish to consider the component parts of `omnibus\' legislation separately.
`The ALP\'s proposal to split the bill into its component parts - which is supported by the Democrats - would allow funding appropriations to universities to pass while amendments to other sections of the legislation are considered. The Government\'s withdrawal of the Bill effectively holds that process up.\'
`We think that the amendments proposed by the Senate merit careful consideration by Government,\' she said. `They are the result of a detailed Inquiry into the legislation, and reflect the concerns of teachers and university staff, students and Vice-Chancellors.\'
Dr Allport said that the amendments that were relevant to universities related to the Postgraduate Education Loans Scheme. The Senate has moved to incorporate a review of PELS into the legislation, and a disaggregation of students\' HECS debt from their PELS debt in cases where the Minister might apply a `cap\' on student debt.
`The Senate is the house of review, and these are sensible amendments. The Australian public has nothing to gain by Minister Kemp grandstanding and blaming the Senate for doing its job. In fact, it is his own unwillingness to consider the separate components of this legislation that is holding up this bill.\'