The position of two crucial crossbenchers has hardened against the Coalition’s deregulation of higher education after they were invited to a forum by two regional universities and the independent MP for Indi, Cathy McGowan.



The forum brought together members or advisers from the National party, Labor, the Greens, minor parties and independents to hear the possible effects of deregulation in rural and regional Australia.

Advisers from the offices of independent senator John Madigan and Motoring Enthusiast party senator Ricky Muir were there. Both senators have previously stated they were disinclined to support the changes.

Madigan, who met with McGowan on Tuesday, said throughout the university deregulation debate, students and their families had been forgotten.

“The current system is underfunded and I think everyone understands that,” Madigan said.

“But what are we funding here? More bureaucracy or better outcomes for young people? I am no fan of deregulation or privatisation; they haven’t delivered in the past and I am dubious whether they will in this instance.”

Madigan said he still had not seen any details of the amended higher education reform bill and had not met with the education minister, Christopher Pyne, since December.

The first bill, which was blocked last year, sought to deregulate fees, allowing universities to charge more and cut the average federal funding for a bachelor degree by 20%. It also extended fee help to technical courses.

Both Pyne and the prime minister, Tony Abbott, have indicated they were not prepared to water down the bill completely, while Liberal Democrat senator David Leyonhjelm and Family First senator Bob Day said they would not support the bill with further concessions. Leyonhjelm said a 20% cut to federal funding of degrees was a minimum.

But Madigan said he was unsure as to what the changes actually were.

“Since parliament rose, I have not heard from the minister. He is welcome to call me but until such time as I know what I’m voting on, I don’t know.”

A spokesman for Muir said that after attending the conference and hearing the effects on students, the senator was less inclined to support deregulation and maintained his stand that any changes should be taken to an election.

Palmer United senator Dio Wang said he remained opposed to deregulation, notwithstanding several text messages over the Christmas break from the education minister suggesting he read various articles supporting deregulation.

“I’m not annoyed by the messages but the government does not have the numbers to pass the higher education bill even if they had the [Palmer United] votes,” Wang said.

McGowan said on Tuesday that having heard from employers, universities and students, she would urge Senate crossbenchers not to support deregulation until its effects were better understood.

“We have to think of the effect on local people and there needs to be some options other than the one currently on the table,” she said.

Senator Nick Xenophon, who did not attend the forum, said he still could not support deregulation and remained in favour of an inquiry which “forensically” examined issues of governance and issues like drop-out rates.

“Both sides are entrenched in ideological positions. It’s no way to make public policy,” he said.

National party senator Bridget McKenzie, who attended the forum, said members of the Regional Universities Network – which are based in regional Australia – supported the government’s plans for deregulation.

“We heard the reforms are supported by regional unis, but that financial support is an issue,” McKenzie said. “We need to make that access [by students] financially sustainable.”