Senate demands Abbott government stop wasting public money on higher education consultants
The Senate today has passed a Greens motion calling on Education Minister Christopher Pyne to stop wasting public resources in his attempts to wreck public higher education in Australia.
Greens spokesperson for higher education Senator Lee Rhiannon moved the motion in response to Mr Pyne's recent spend of $150,000 to hire an external negotiator to convince the cross bench to support his twice failed deregulation bill.
"This could well be the first time the Senate has passed a motion saying the Education Minister is wrecking public education in Australia.
"In his two years as Education Minister Mr Pyne has only two things to show - failed higher education bills which would have locked students and families into cyclical debt and poured millions into the coffers of private companies.
"University deregulation is dead and so is the $150 000 that Christopher Pyne has wasted on ex-bureaucrat-turned-consultant Robert Griew.
"Minister Pyne should take note of the Senate's call for him to stop wasting public resources in his attempts to wreck public higher education in Australia. If he is unable to do this, he should step aside and let someone else do his job," said Senator Rhiannon.
Full text of motion passed by the Senate:
That the Senate-
(a) notes that:
(i) the Abbott Governmentâs attempts to deregulate university fees and slash public funding to higher education have been defeated twice in the current Parliament,
(ii) the Minister for Education and Training (Mr Pyne) has so far spent $150 000 of public money hiring a private consultant to conduct parliamentary negotiations on his behalf, and
(iii) this spending is a significant waste of public resources at a time when the Government is inflicting huge cuts to public services such as health and education; and
(b) calls on the Abbott Government to stop wasting public resources in its attempts to wreck public higher education in Australia.
Contact: Brami Jegan 0487 350 880