Senator RHIANNON: You said earlier, Ms Paul, I think it was on 25 November, that it was determined that the planned advertising campaign complied with guidelines. Principle 4 of the department's guidelines for expenditure on advertising state that they should be 'instigated on the basis of a demonstrated need…' Other than the government's desperation to pass its legislation, what was the demonstrated need for the advertising campaign?

Senator RHIANNON: Thank you, Professor Saunders. I noted you said that the staff numbers are currently 56, down 10. What were the staff numbers when TEQSA started?

Prof. Saunders : We had a staff level of about 100—not when we started, but we built up to staff level of about 100.

Senator RHIANNON: In what year, please?

Prof. Saunders : We started in 2012, so it would have been sometime during 2012 that those numbers built up.

Senator RHIANNON: Is it correct that even though a private RTO—like Vocation and a number of its subsidiaries—might be registered in New South Wales, and therefore fall within ASQA's purview, if another subsidiary was based, say, in Victoria you would not have regulatory responsibility.

Senator RHIANNON: This morning when we were trying to explore some of the advertising issues, I asked some questions that I would like to return to. Principle 4 of the department's guidelines for expenditure on advertising states, 'Any campaign must be instigated on the basis of a demonstrated need.' It is a quote you would obviously know well. Other than the government's desperation to pass its legislation, what was the demonstrated need for this advertising campaign?

Senator RHIANNON (New South Wales) (16:04): I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes the report published by the University of Sydney on 6 February 2015 which found that private education companies had made hundreds of millions of dollars in profit as a result of public subsidies at the same time that public funding for technical and further education was being slashed; and

(b) calls on the Federal Government to immediately review the contestability funding model for vocational education and training and prioritise funding for public higher education.

The Australian Greens have called on Prime Minister Tony Abbott to withdraw his government’s higher education Bill, as more university Vice-Chancellors speak out against fee deregulation. 

“The Coalition’s dream team of Vice Chancellors who back deregulation is slowly crumbling, with VC of Victoria University Peter Dawkins the latest to break ranks,” said Greens higher education spokesperson Senator Lee Rhiannon.

Two thousand New South Wales residents have joined the ‘1 Million Reasons' campaign to send key crossbench Senators a postcard asking them to vote down the Coalition government's higher education cuts.

Launched a month ago, already nearly six thousand Australians have joined the ‘1 Million Reasons' campaign. Postcards signed by students, former students and their allies all across Australia have been sent to each of the six cross bench Senators.

Commenting on reports that John Dawkins is backing deregulation, Greens spokesperson for higher education Senator Lee Rhiannon said:

"John Dawkins was a former chairman and shareholder of a private for profit vocational education and training company - Vocation - that is now subject to three class-action lawsuits and reportedly may never trade again.

"Mr Dawkins' endorsement of deregulation shows just how desperate the Abbott government is.

Following further revelations of potential rorting by private, for-profit education providers, the Australian Greens have called for the recently established Senate inquiry into private vocational education to consider a crackdown on private operators accessing government funding.

The Australian Greens have today said that the biggest components left of Christopher Pyne's higher education Bill are a $450 million windfall to private higher education providers and debt that could be as high as $200 000 for some students.