Labor’s education spokesperson says universities were key to reconstruction after WWII and must be post pandemic

Tanya Plibersek’s speech to the Universities Australia conference today will point to the “central role that universities played” in Labor prime minster Ben Chifley’s national reconstruction programme and call for them to be able to do the same post CoVID-19.

“What we’ve learned in this pandemic isn’t that different to what we learned in World War II. At every stage of the crisis, we’ve relied on universities and their graduates – on experts and their research,” her speech text states.

Ms Plibersek also will claim applied research as a Labor issue.

“When universities succeed, their success touches everyone. From graduating classes of highly trained citizens, to greater productivity, to research and invention, to new products and techniques, to new companies and new exports. That’s the pipeline.  And when it works, it creates good local jobs.”

And she also presents Labor as the party of the higher education community.

“I promise you that a Labor Government will restore universities to their rightful place. You will be respected again. You will have a partner in government once more. And you will be given the support you need to do what you do best: world class teaching and world class research.”

As much Gough as Ben, thinks CMM.