Lee's opinion piece on the future of higher education in Australia published today.

Last week, students across the country came together to fight the Abbott government’s agenda for higher education.

The National Day of Action, which came off the back of the two-time defeat of Education Minister Christopher Pyne’s university deregulation bill, shows that the community has rejected the government’s plan.

Senator RHIANNON (New South Wales) (13:29): I seek leave to amend general business notice of motion No. 689 standing in my name for today.

Leave granted.

Senator RHIANNON: I move the motion as amended:

Commenting on reports that representatives of the University of Wollongong have paid to attend Liberal Party fundraisers, Greens spokesperson for higher education Senator Lee Rhiannon said:

“University of Wollongong’s senior managers should come clean the thousands of dollars that have flowed to the Liberal Party from the university – and several of its university-controlled entities.

Lee's opinion piece on gender and the aid program was published today.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop is right to focus Australian aid on women and children, but the current cuts to the budget and the further alignment of Australian aid with our own national interest that Ms Bishop is promoting runs counter to this goal.

Senator RHIANNON (New South Wales) (15:51): I move:

The Australian Senate has today passed a Greens motion calling on the Federal Liberal party to return the $15 million of public funds it spent advertising its failed party higher education policy.

“Christopher Pyne might call himself a ‘fixer’, but his efforts to blackmail the Senate have failed – and so have his attempts to brainwash the Australian public.

“The Abbott government set aside nearly $15 million to spend advertising its doomed plan for $100,000 degrees.

Commenting on the release of a landmark Médecins Sans Frontières report on the response to the Ebola epidemic, Greens Senator Lee Rhiannon said:

“This report shows us how inadequate the response to the Ebola crisis was.

“One year on from the outbreak of the Ebola crisis, it’s clear that we do not just need our aid budget ‘saved’ from further cuts – we need it restored.

“From the beginning, the Greens called on Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop to assist the growing international response by sending a large scale on-ground team to West Africa.

Lee's opinion piece on political donations from mining companies was published today.

Last week, Federal Labor voted with the Liberals and Nationals to block a Senate motion calling for a ban on political donations from mining and coal seam gas companies.

Senator RHIANNON (New South Wales) (15:49): I move:

That the Senate-
(a) notes That the Abbott Government has allocated $14.6 million in public funding to advertise its failed higher education changes; and
(b) calls on the Abbott Government to:
(i) direct the Federal Liberal Party to return the $14.6 million of public money allocated to its higher education advertising campaign, and
(ii) shut down its publicly funded highered.gov.au site, which was designed to advertise the failed changes.

Question agreed to.