In a letter received today by the Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations, Shadow Minister for Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Industry Senator Kim Carr has confirmed that all Labor Senators will be voting against fees on PhDs.
“In a big win for CAPA’s No Fees on PhDs campaign, the Labor Party has now confirmed that all of their Senators will be voting against cuts to the Research Training Scheme that would result in the introduction of fees on PhDs” said Meghan Hopper, President of the Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations.
“Whilst the Labor Party has been vocal on opposing deregulation of undergraduate fees, this is a very welcome, unilateral statement from their Higher Education Spokesperson, Senator Kim Carr that they will also be opposing a huge hit to our best and brightest, our research workforce of the future, in the form of fees on PhDs” said Ms Hopper.
In his letter to the Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations, Senator Carr said that the proposed changes to the Research Training Scheme were “an assault on equality of opportunity in this country”.
“Engaging in full-time postgraduate research already requires considerable personal sacrifice and hardship, especially for those who have families to support and are aware of the greater earning power of their contemporaries in the workforce” said Senator Carr.
“Labor will do everything possible to prevent changes to higher education funding that might compel postgraduate research students to make such a choice” Senator Carr said.
Ms Hopper said that having received the support of the Australian Labor Party as well as a number of Greens Senators, CAPA’s focus would now be on securing cross-bench support.
“At this point we are yet to receive a response from any cross-bench Senators, and we have also not heard from members of the Coalition in response to our valid concerns about the impact of cuts to the Research Training Scheme” Ms Hopper said.
“We will shortly be encouraging our members to follow up with any Senators who have not provided a response and to just ask them to make their position clear” said Ms Hopper.
Over 2,000 people have so far signed CAPA’s petition against fees on research degrees.
Follow the campaign and the list of Senator pledges at www.capa.edu.au/newfee
