Academic Advocacy is a professional service of QUT Guild, committed to supporting and representing the interests and needs of students in academic matters, navigating university policies and advocating for better quality of education. The Advocacy Team are collaborating with Glass on a series of articles to make sure you know your rights and to help students get through their studies as successfully as possible.
This article was written by Advocate, Shane Snow.
Back in 2003, the conservative Howard government drafted legislation that would have increased HECS fees by 30% and allowed universities to double the number of full fee-paying domestic students from a quarter to half of total enrolments.
The QUT Guild was strongly opposed to these changes on the grounds that they would disadvantage students who were less well-off. In response, a campaign was organised to fight against the proposed legislation. The Guild knew that it would be an uphill battle to get the government to change their minds, but we also knew that we could not sit back and do nothing.
Contentious legislation is often accompanied by hearings where interested parties provide feedback to the senate committee responsible for the legislation. At the completion of these hearings, the committee will then make a recommendation to the government on the merits, or otherwise, of what is being proposed.
The relevant senate committee responsible for overseeing the legislation – The Employment, Workplace Relations and Education References Committee – was having public hearings around Australia and were going to be in Brisbane on the 23rd of September 2003. The Guild lobbied to appear before the committee and was granted permission to do so.
In the weeks leading up to the hearing, the Guild sought out the opinions of our students on the proposed legislation and discovered that it was universally loathed. We also collected anecdotal stories from students about the how the legislation would affect them personally. Equipped with this information, we went into the hearing to present our findings.
The other major part of our campaign was to make the government aware that students were opposed to this reform and that this would hurt them at the ballot box. A key part of this was to mobilise the student population, and we managed to do this with a series of rallies at Gardens Point campus. These events bought over 500 students together.
To raise awareness of the legislation, we also held a mock funeral procession on campus, in remembrance of the death of accessible higher education in Australia. Guild executive constructed a coffin made of cardboard with “RIP free education” written on it and paraded it around Gardens Point. Behind the coffin, we had Guild people who would speak to students enquiring what was going on. It may have been an unusual spectacle, but it got the word out.
We used these events to encourage students to spread the word about the legislation and to express their displeasure of what was being proposed to their local federal elected representative. From all reports, several Australian senators saw an influx of correspondence from QUT students.
We also took the campaign off campus, knowing the more people we could get to oppose the legislation, the better. We had several guest spots on local radio programs and organised marches through the streets of Brisbane. One escalated situation lead to the temporary occupation of a conservative member of parliament’s office, but that is a story for another time.
As one of the Guild representatives who gave evidence that day, the event is clearly embedded in my memory. The committee comprised of senators from all sides of politics, some in favour of the changes and others opposed. So, the hearing consisted of us being welcomed by the ALP, Greens and Democrat senators whilst being less than warmly received by conservative members. But that is all part of the democratic process.
If you want to have a look at how we did at the hearing it’s all in the Hansard https://www.aph.gov.au/binaries/hansard/senate/commttee/s6925.pdf You may see that one of the Guild representatives at the hearing was Shannon Fentiman – the current QLD Minister for Health, Mental Health & Ambulance Services and Minister for Women.
So, how did it all end? The Guild, in collaboration with other student organisations, couldn’t stop the reforms but succeeded in convincing the government to less their impact. Instead of increasing HECS by 30%, the increase was limited to 25% and instead of increasing the number of full fee-paying undergraduate places to 50% of enrolments, the figure was capped at 35%.
Even though we didn’t stop the legislation completely, we were able to make a difference. Just as importantly, the government realised that if they ever tried to attack access to higher education in Australia in the future, they would be in for a battle.
I’m Shane Snow, one of the QUT Guild Academic Advocates with 29 years of combined experience at QUT & The Guild. I have a deep understanding of university policies and procedures and a strong network across QUT to promptly resolve student issues. My education includes a Bachelor of Arts, Graduate Diplomas in Education and Business Administration, and a Graduate Certificate in Governance and Public Policy. I’ve appeared as an expert witness before the Australian Senate and have participated in TV and radio discussions on higher education. Reach out for any assistance you need.
