I rise to make a contribution to the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Amendment (Governance and Other Matters) Bill 2020. The bill makes substantial changes to the Australian Skills Quality Authority's governance structure, establishes the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Advisory Council and revises arrangements for data sharing and access pertaining to the National Centre for Vocational Education Research. The Greens will not oppose this bill, but we are not without concern.

Australian Greens Education spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has said the federal government’s move to punish students who struggle to find their feet at university is all about saving money, and nothing to do with ‘putting students’ interests first’.

Senator Faruqi said:

“There’s no doubt some students struggle at university, but choosing to punish rather than support them makes no sense.

Australian Greens Education spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has said that the government is hopelessly divided on the Job-ready Graduates Package, with the Minister for Regional Education today publishing a statement referring to a “glaring and potentially detrimental design flaw” of the package. Senator Faruqi has also criticised the six day time period allowed for public consultation.

Senator Faruqi said:

“Andrew Gee is right. These enormous fee hikes will harm regional students and don’t serve the interests of regional communities.

The Greens have welcomed a new report from the Grattan Institute today, Cheaper childcare: A practical plan to boost female workforce participation, which illustrates that government investment to lower the cost of early learning will improve gender equity and opportunities for women’s financial independence.

Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Greens spokesperson on Education, said:

Greens Leader, Adam Bandt, says a return to free childcare is needed in Victoria immediately and that the success of the initial COVID-19 childcare package has shown Australian families that it is possible and desirable to pursue free childcare for good.

“Even though the restrictions in Victoria are now harsher, the childcare support from the Federal government is now weaker,” Bandt said.

“In the middle of a pandemic, the government has tried to reinvent the wheel and thrown parents, workers and the industry into unnecessary confusion.”

The Greens have responded to the government’s package for childcare in Victoria, saying that it is unnecessarily complicated and austere. The government should guarantee free childcare permanently and extend JobKeeper for all early learning workers.

Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Australian Greens Education spokesperson, said:

“This package doesn’t work for families, who may still have to pay gap fees. It doesn’t work for educators, who don’t have a wage guarantee. And it doesn’t work for centres, who won’t get the funding they need.

The Greens have said that the federal government must urgently support early learning and immediately provide relief for early childhood education and care (ECEC) in Victoria.

Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Australian Greens Education spokesperson, said:

“The current situation is untenable. The federal government should immediately extend JobKeeper for all early learning workers and provide free childcare with a guaranteed relief payment for services.

Australian Greens Education spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has said that the government’s plan to hike up university fees should be scrapped, following confirmation in the Senate Covid-19 Committee this week that no government modelling had been done on the effect of changing course costs.

Senator Faruqi said:

“Not only are these fee hikes grossly unfair for students, there’s actually no evidence that they will do what the government intends them to: encourage more students to take up STEM and other ‘priority’ courses.

Australian Greens Education spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has said that the government’s ‘JobTrainer’ scheme is heavy on spin and hugely hypocritical for a government that has overseen the marketisation and disintegration of public vocational education.

Senator Faruqi said:

“This is a government that has systematically gutted public TAFE over many years.

“We have seen the failures of government-subsidised, for-profit vocational education. We should not be going down the same path.

Australian Greens Education spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has labelled today’s news of cuts to approximately 500 full-time equivalent jobs at UNSW, and the amalgamation of nine faculties into six, as devastating and infuriating.

Senator Faruqi said:

“Hundreds of hard-working UNSW staff will bear the disastrous consequences of the Liberals’ callous abandonment of higher education.

“The Morrison government has no shame or sense. Australian universities are in crisis and frankly it’s the Liberals who are squarely to blame.