By this point most of us are resigned to the fact that the Federal Liberal Party – also unfortunately known as the Australian Government – are a bunch of absolute nutters.
Tony Abbott has eaten two onions (WITH THE SKIN ON!) in a matter of two weeks and Christopher ‘The Fixer’ Pyne is so fixated on pushing through the failed policy of fee deregulation he’s appearing even more serial killer-esque in the media than usual.
Through the persistence and organisation of peak representative bodies like the National Union of Students (NUS) and the Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations (CAPA) – tertiary education students have been able to evade Pyne’s cruel agenda.
An agenda that will see thousands of students who currently have the opportunity to attend such an illustrious institution like Sydney University – who have the opportunity to add to the vibrant fabric of Sydney’s history regardless of their income bracket or postcode.
The fight is not over yet.
Pyne is insistent on bringing back the Higher Education and Research Reform (HERR) Bill for a third time and $2.3 billion continues to be savagely cut from the sector.
From Pyne’s twitter – horrendous banter.
But it’s not just university students under attack – unfortunately we have a state Liberal Government to deal with as well and currently TAFE students in NSW are being targeted with course costs soaring as much as 6,900 per cent.
Pyne has hit up his old mate NSW Premier Mike Baird – who is now dismantling our higher education system on the state level.
A Diploma of Air-conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering at TAFE has jumped from $104 in 2011 to $7,280 in 2015.
TAFE is so incredibly crucial to some of the students that deserve the most support in our state, students from disadvantaged backgrounds, students with a disability, Indigenous students and students from regional and rural areas to just name a few.
The fact that some of the people we should be supporting the most are being locked out of something as integral as a vocational course makes me feel physically sick.
This Wednesday – the 25th of March – the National Union of Students will be leading a National Day of Action for students across Australia.
The University of Sydney contingent will be meeting at 1pm in front of Fisher Library with a march down to UTS.
I am asking you to come out and stand up for students all across NSW, not just those of us lucky enough to attend Sydney University.
Come out and stand up for those at Loftus, Ultimo and Campbelltown TAFE.
Stand up for the students who have had their course costs almost triple following the decision by the Liberals to cut concession discounts.
Liberals are no friends of students.
We have a state election coming up on Saturday 28th March and an opportunity this Wednesday to be heard, be counted and let voters know that they are all the same – whether it’s Abbott, Pyne, Morrison, Bishop or Baird – they will forever preference the bottom line of their budget over whether a student in Western Sydney will be able to complete a Diploma that has the capacity to unlock a whole world of opportunity for them.
In the end they’re all the same.
Join me, and hundreds of other students this Wednesday, to demand a better future – not just for University students, not just for arts students and not just for hacks in student politics.
Join me and fight for students all across NSW who are feeling the direct effects of cruel attacks of course cuts and fee hikes – they deserve a better future too.
