PARKES MP Mark Coulton is unwavering in his support of reforms to tertiary education, despite the determination of the Palmer United Party to block them.
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Mr Coulton said he didn't feel the deregulation of university fees and changing of the HELP repayments from CPI to 10-year treasury bond rates was unfair.
He said the decision to raise the fees for courses would be the decision of individual universities and nothing to do with the government.
Mr Coulton also rejected any suggestion regional universities would be the worst affected by the changes.
"The government is not proposing any increase to higher education fees. The proposed changes allow the universities to charge at a level that they deem suitable and the student also has the option to attend another institution," Mr Coulton said in a statement to the Daily Liberal.
"The proposed changes to higher education are all about offering more choice for the student and for the higher education institution. Under the changes universities, like CSU, will be able to offer a wider range of graduate diplomas through to bachelor degrees and post graduate studies.
"Institutions will be able to set their own fees which could allow regional universities to compete to attract students through their pricing structure.
"There are many reasons that students choose to study at regional facilities including the courses on offer and the unique experience which is offered by regional living."
However one of the most criticised aspects of the proposed changes is the annexing of HELP repayments to the treasury bond rates. The bond rates are traditionally higher than CPI and those who would be worst affected by the changes are those who take the longest to pay the loan off.
People who take a long time to find employment after graduating or earn below the $50,000 threshold for loan repayment early in their career will be the worst affected, as the interest will pile up before they even begin to pay it back.
Mr Coulton said the proposed system would still be an attractive one for potential students, especially with the promise of higher earnings. "There will still be no upfront fees for students under the HELP loan scheme. No student is required to start paying back their loan until they are receiving a decent income," he said.
"On average university graduates earn up to 75 per cent more than those who don't go on to further study after high school. These changes are about ensuring that graduates contribute fairly, once they are in position to do so, to the cost of their education."
Clive Palmer has been adamant that his party will block all of the government's proposed changes because they are moving away from affordable education for everyone.
Mr Coulton said the government would negotiate with the Palmer party and other crossbenchers but he believed they shouldn't stand in the government's way.
"As with other areas, I believe that there does need to be recognition that the Coalition was elected with a mandate to get the budget back under control, and institute reforms to ensure that the high standard of living we enjoy in Australia is sustainable," he said.