Coalition Pledges Aid for Remote Tertiary Students No Mention of Addition Funding for Universities. (November 13, 2007)

Speaking at the joint Liberal/Nationals campaign launch in Brisbane yesterday Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of The Nationals, Mark Vaile announced a re-elected Coalition Government would provide 1,000 students a year from remote and very remote parts of Australia with a $4,000 bursary to assist them with relocation costs for tertiary or vocational study.

Mr Vaile said: "The bursaries will be allocated, taking into account such things as distance from home to study and family need as well as the student's commitment to study. While both higher education and vocational education providers have expanded into remote locations in recent years, there are still relatively few opportunities for tertiary education in these regions. The cost of moving to undertake tertiary or vocational education is a potential bar. The Isolated Children's Parents Association, in particular, has brought this issue to the attention of the Howard/Vaile Government."

Mr Vaile added: "As Leader of The Nationals, increased access to education for all Australians, and particularly those in regional and isolated communities, is very important to me and can only be delivered through the continued strong economic management of the Coalition Government."

Prime Minister John Howard in his address said a re-elected coalition government would spend $6.4 billion to offer parents 40% tax breaks of up to $800 a year to cover their children's education costs, including private school fees and uniforms. He promised a rebate of up to $400 for all primary students and $800 for secondary students. Annual public school fees are typically less than $300 in fees each year, but the rebate would apply to laptops, broadband connections to the internet, school camps, excursions, stationery, calculators and school uniforms.

Mr Vaile's announcement was on the whole well received, but Michael Nguyen, president of the National Union of Students, pointed out that the proposed $12 million bursary program to help rural students gain access to higher education would benefit a small number of students. "It isn't going to make life easier for students on the youth allowance who are living below the poverty line," he said. "We need to improve student income support such as youth allowance or Austudy."

The Prime Minister's tax rebate announced got mixed reviews.

Jenny Branch, president of the Australian Council of State School Organisations, which represents public school parents said: "The money would have been better invested if it was spent directly on our schools, teachers and resources," while Ian Dalton, executive director of the Australian Parents Council, which represents private school parents, told Anna Patty of The Sydney Morning Herald: "We welcome the fact that parents are able to access the tax benefit in respect to school uniforms and school fees. They are the sorts of areas parents have significant expenditure in."

If the universities had hoped for an announcement of increased resources they were sorely disappointed. Mr Howard has determined that academics won't vote for him anyway. Besides they are a minor cog in the voting gear train, and most don't live in marginal electorates.

The voting public, while concerned about primary and secondary schools aren't that anxious about the well being of universities.

Of course there is that rumour about that Labor leader Kevin Rudd will say something nice for and about the unis - but how much nice remains to be seen.