Last stand for the Education Investment Fund

Tanya Plibersek asks unis to oppose the government closing the Education Investment Fund and transferring its $4bn to a disaster relief kitty

The shadow education minister has written to university leaders pointing out how things would have been better if Labor had won the election, with the return of demand-driven UG places, and the $300m University Future, (not to mention Labor’s promised $174m for equity and pathway programmes Ms Plibersek does not mention.)

But, as for the EIF, which the government has been trying to get its hands on since 2014, this time the Senate numbers are not with Labor. So, Ms Plibersek urges HE groups to support a last-ditch stand to save it, by making submissions to a Senate inquiry on the emergency response bill (where the money will go), due to complete on October 10.

Labor will continue to fight for fair funding and proper investment in education,” Ms Plibersek says.

What, a learned reader wonders, like it did in the 2009 budget, when the Rudd Government moved $4bn of the $6.5bn then in the Education Investment Fund to clean-energy and nation-building initiatives?


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