Democrats higher education policy: intelligent and progressive

The Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations welcomes the uncompromising and progressive higher education policy of the Australian Democrats, launched today in Brisbane by Democrats leader and spokesperson on higher education, Senator Natasha Stott Despoja.

"The Democrats' acknowledgement of the key objectives of our university system - along with the primary urgent problems faced by it - is an encouraging sign that some politicians are genuinely listening to the people who actually work in universities: students and staff," said CAPA President John Byron today.

"In particular, we are pleased to note that the Democrats have adopted a long-standing core value of CAPA's - that a healthy education system is characterised by Quality, Equity and Diversity.

"Naturally this pleases us as an indication of CAPA's effectiveness as a national peak body," he continued.

"But more importantly it demonstrates that the key issues confronting our sector are capturing the imagination of those in Canberra who are willing to engage with the community and think about our nation's future.

"We are more than happy to share our "intellectual property' with any party willing to do the hard yards and make the firm commitments to restore Australia to the forefront of academic achievement, and to ensure that all Australians are able to access a world-class education system."

The Democrats' key commitments are to increase basic funding to universities, to abolish differential HECS, to ensure targeted equity groups are able to participate fully, and to improve student income support to end student poverty.

"CAPA welcomes each of these commitments, and encourages the Democrats to use its balance of power - guaranteed until the end of June regardless of the election outcome - to ensure that these and other productive and fair measures are introduced," said Mr Byron.

"Clearly, the uses to which the balance of power can be put in the upper house are a function of the attitudes of the party with the majority in the lower house," he observed.

"Policy pressure from progressive groups such as the Democrats and the Greens will augment the work done by an enlightened, imaginative and hard working Government.

"The frustrations of the past five years would seem to make it clear that only a Beazley Government will advance the kinds of policies that the Democrats and the Greens are able to work productively with," he argued.

"We trust that those who sit on the Senate cross-benches will use their influence to ensure that ambitious and imaginative Government policy is strengthened still more, in order to guarantee Australians the education system that will deliver them social, economic and environmental prosperity," he concluded.