"Well if you can't get something through the Senate, it is, I would say it's highly possible that you could change it to something that will get through the Senate," he told the ABC's AM program.



"This is what John Howard calls the iron laws of arithmetic." Former education minister Christopher Pyne, who has moved portfolios under Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. Credit:Andrew Meares Mr Turnbull said: "The government's position is that reform of the higher education system to enable, really to promote excellence and greater diversity and choice in higher ed is very, very important.



"But, clearly, we've got political realities to deal with in the Senate." The matter would be discussed and decided by cabinet, he said. Labor had planned to make opposition to "$100,000 degrees" a key part of its election strategy.

Mr Turnbull declined to comment when asked by Labor in question time last week whether he remained committed to the policy. The new Education and Training Minister, Simon Birminghan. Credit:Jay Cronan He has appointed a new Minister for Education and Training, South Australian senator Simon Birmingham, allowing the government to start afresh on higher education policy. Senator Birmingham said last week that "there's no point just talking about reform. There's no point trying to ram it through. You've got to build the consensus in the community that allows you to have the consensus in the parliament." Senator Birmingham's predecessor, Christopher Pyne, had vowed to return his higher education bill to Parliament for a third time this year after Labor, the Greens and the Senate crossbench voted it down twice.

The government has proposed to allow universities to charge what they like for a degree, reduce course funding by 20 per cent and to extend federal subsidies to students at TAFEs and private colleges. The government's higher education reforms were announced in the May 2014 budget, surprising many in the university sector and the public. Most university vice-chancellors rallied behind fee deregulation, but were strong opposed to other elements of the government's policies, such as the cut in course funding and a (now abandoned) increase in the interest rate on student loans. Senator Birmingham said in a statement he looked forward to "working collaboratively with education stakeholders to develop policy and to build broad support for any future reforms we need to undertake". In a speech to Monash University on Monday, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said Labor would increase university course funding by $2500 per student - 27 per cent - from 2018 compared to the government's current policies. Mr Shorten said he aimed to reduce the university dropout rate - currently around 25 per cent - so that 20,000 extra students a year complete university.

"Right now, too many students are leaving university with a student debt and no degree," he said. "This means shifting the way we measure success, to recognise both enrolment and completion." Mr Shorten said Labor would boost funding for the Tertiary Education Quality Standards Agency by $31 million and establish a Higher Education Productivity and Performance Commission to ensure graduates meet the needs of the future economy. Universities Australia chief executive Belinda Robinson said Labor's funding announcement essentially amounted to the status quo by not proceeding with the Coalition's proposed cuts. "While there are a number of positives announced today by Labor, we will be interested in better understanding the detail that sits behind these announcements, particularly in relation to plans for a Labor government to accurately predict, and have universities meet, future labour market needs," she said.

"Labor's reversal of cuts to student funding that it unveiled prior to the last election [through an efficiency dividend] has been well received by the sector and we look forward to further announcements on long-term sustainable funding for research and innovation." Follow us on Twitter