Pyne’s fine plan for universities to hit students

Greens higher education spokesperson Senator Lee Rhiannon commenting on the Liberal/National government plan to fine universities that overcharge for degrees said:

“Pyne’s penalty plan is more evidence that deregulation does not work.

“Government fines imposed on universities will be passed onto students, adding to the cost burden university fees already impose.

“The Minister has spent a year singing the praises of the marketplace as the way to determine fair fees for students. His arguments are in tatters now.

“Fining universities for fee hikes effectively acknowledges that the market can’t be trusted to determine university fees.

“It is not surprising that the British government rejected a similar scheme.

“The Pyne university deregulation plan cannot be cleaned up with a few nips and tucks. It needs to be rejected outright.

“I will be talking to my crossbench colleagues today about the flaws the Pyne fine plan exposes,” Senator Rhiannon said.