Independent Senator for Tasmania Jacqui Lambie will ask that doctors release her early from Hospital so that she can be personally in the Parliament to vote down the Liberal’s Higher Education Bill.
“Education Minister Christopher Pyne’s latest threat to hold to ransom 1700 research jobs – is the last straw. He should just resign or the PM should just sack him. This makes my blood boil. It is just another desperate, juvenile and bumbling attempt to blackmail the Senate Cross Benchers into voting for his so called “Higher Education Reforms””. said Senator Lambie
“If Pyne and Tony Abbott had so much faith in their “Higher Education Reforms” why didn’t they tell the people of Tasmania and others states, about their “reforms” before the last election? If the Liberal’s Higher Education policy was any good, there would not be a need for a cover up, followed by a disgraceful political ambush and now these desperate threats.” Said Senator Lambie.
“Mr Pyne should come clean and tell the people of Australia the real reason why he’s desperate to force these changes on students and our universities. Mr Pyne must detail how much the Liberal Party plans to make in political donations from their big business mates who stand to make big profits – after they are allowed to do business in the Liberal’s brave new world of a “deregulated” higher education market.” said Senator Lambie.
“A proper public debate about the funding and management of Higher Education in Australia must be held. And this important question must be addressed:
If the Nordic Countries can fund and deliver the best Higher Education system in the world to their young people for free, why can’t Australia? In 1995 we spent .9% of our GDP on Higher education and now we’re only spending .6%.
Surely as a developed nation we can afford to invest 1% of our GPD in Higher Education? I will move heaven and earth to be in the Chamber on Wednesday to vote against Pyne’s vile legislation, even if it means being hooked up to a drip.
Mr Pyne will need more than just a Kleenex I offered him at the start of this debate for the political pain I’m about to cause him. He may need a dose of the intravenous anti-biotic I’ve been on.” said Senator Lambie.
