Mr BAILEY - 1996-05-21
His federal government mates are threatening to cut university funding by 12%, increase HECS fees by up to 30%, and shorten the time allowed for students to repay deferred fees. Cuts like this would devastate Northern Territory University. Funding cuts of up to $6m to NTU would result in courses being cut, lecturers being sacked and a big drop in student enrolment. Despite this spectre, we have yet to hear anything from the Country Liberal Party administration in defence of our university. Has the minister examined the effects these cuts will have on the establishment of a medical school at NTU? Has he looked at the effects these cuts will have on joint research projects with South-East Asia? Further, will the university be able to function as effectively as it does today if funding is cut in this way?
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Mr Stone: Not bad from a mob who would not even support a university for the Territory!
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, that is a good point by the Chief Minister. This is not bad coming from a mob who did not even want the Territory to have a university. When that debate was occurring, the opposition supported the view that 3 places should be trialled for 3 years to see whether a university was justified in the Northern Territory.
Mr Bailey: That is 15 years ago now.
Mr HATTON: Yes, but it is still fact. It was the CLP government that fought for a university for the Territory. This is the only government in the country that has actually put its own money into the funding and operation of a university. If we had not fully funded it for the first few years, and embarrassed the federal Labor government, there would be no university in the Northern Territory. There was no intention on the part of the federal Labor government to assist with the establishment of one. We worked on one simple philosophy. It was apparent that a federal Labor government could not stand to have a university outside of its grasp. By funding and running it ourselves, we knew that Labor's socialist ideology would drive it eventually into having to take the university over and fund it. That strategy worked, and we are very proud about that.
This year is, in fact, the last year of the phase-out of Territory government funding for the university. I have been concerned about reports relating to potential cuts globally in university funding. Certainly, a campaign is being conducted by vice-chancellors throughout Australia, indicating that death and destruction will follow for all the world to see should cuts be made to university funding. As it turns out, I will have the opportunity this Friday, at a meeting of the Australian National Training Authority, to meet with the federal minister and find out more precisely what the proposals are and their likely implications for the Northern Territory. At that time, I will be in a better position to assess the likely impact on Northern Territory University. It is my intention, in those discussions this Friday in Melbourne, to carry out those proper and detailed investigations before responding to media comment.
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Mr Stone: Not bad from a mob who would not even support a university for the Territory!
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, that is a good point by the Chief Minister. This is not bad coming from a mob who did not even want the Territory to have a university. When that debate was occurring, the opposition supported the view that 3 places should be trialled for 3 years to see whether a university was justified in the Northern Territory.
Mr Bailey: That is 15 years ago now.
Mr HATTON: Yes, but it is still fact. It was the CLP government that fought for a university for the Territory. This is the only government in the country that has actually put its own money into the funding and operation of a university. If we had not fully funded it for the first few years, and embarrassed the federal Labor government, there would be no university in the Northern Territory. There was no intention on the part of the federal Labor government to assist with the establishment of one. We worked on one simple philosophy. It was apparent that a federal Labor government could not stand to have a university outside of its grasp. By funding and running it ourselves, we knew that Labor's socialist ideology would drive it eventually into having to take the university over and fund it. That strategy worked, and we are very proud about that.
This year is, in fact, the last year of the phase-out of Territory government funding for the university. I have been concerned about reports relating to potential cuts globally in university funding. Certainly, a campaign is being conducted by vice-chancellors throughout Australia, indicating that death and destruction will follow for all the world to see should cuts be made to university funding. As it turns out, I will have the opportunity this Friday, at a meeting of the Australian National Training Authority, to meet with the federal minister and find out more precisely what the proposals are and their likely implications for the Northern Territory. At that time, I will be in a better position to assess the likely impact on Northern Territory University. It is my intention, in those discussions this Friday in Melbourne, to carry out those proper and detailed investigations before responding to media comment.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016