"The Greens have major concerns with the Rudd government's proposal to cap self education expense deductions to $2,000. This change will require legislation and we would move to send the legislation to a full Senate inquiry," said Greens Leader Senator Christine Milne.

"The Greens are concerned that while the current scheme may need better targeting, the $2,000 cap is a blunt instrument. While rorting from some professions is anecdotally reported, that should not outweigh the concerns of people such as nurses from regional areas trying to get training.

Australian Greens Leader Senator Christine Milne and Greens Senate candidate Adam Stone have today joined Queensland universities and students in Brisbane to oppose Labor and Tony Abbott's $2.3 billion university cuts.

The visit is part of a new Greens' national campaign - Uni Cuts Hurt - to stop the old parties slashing university funding.

As part of the campaign, Senator Milne is meeting with university students and staff across the country to discuss the impact of funding cuts, and the decision to turn student start-up scholarships into HECS-style loan.

The Australian Greens today launched a new national campaign - Uni Cuts Hurt - to reverse Labor's $2.3 billion university funding cuts.

The Greens campaign is working for a 10 per cent increase in per student base funding, an additional $50 per week for students on Youth Allowance, greater job security and the rights of unions to enter workplaces.

As part of the campaign Greens Senators will work with university students and staff across the country to reverse the funding cuts to universities and retain student start-up scholarships.

Australian Greens Leader Senator Christine Milne and Senator Sarah Hanson-Young have joined South Australian universities and students today to oppose Labor and Tony Abbott’s $2.3 billion university cuts.
 
Senator Milne said slashing funding to universities will hurt 70,000 South Australian students who will face more crowded classrooms and extra pressure due to cuts.
 
“Labor’s plan to make the start-up scholarships a part of HECS will add additional burdens for up to 18,000 of South Australia’s most disadvantaged students,” Senator Milne said.
 

The Australian Greens won't be supporting legislation to enable cuts to university scholarships mooted in tonight's budget, Leader Christine Milne announced today.

"For a supposedly clever country, slashing universities is just dumb. We are robbing the future if we allow these cuts to go ahead," Senator Milne said.

"We need to support education from early childhood right through to tertiary level if we're going to move away from the cut-it-down, dig-it-up economic approach.

The Australian Greens have expressed disappointment and frustration that COAG has wasted an historic opportunity to deliver fair funding for Australian schools.

"It is totally unacceptable the Liberal state governments are playing politics with education, while Australian children are missing out," Australian Greens Leader Senator Christine Milne said

With only three full weeks of parliamentary sitting before the election, the Government needs to commit to a legislative agenda to guarantee the full Gonski school reforms, the Australian Greens said today.

"When is the Gillard Government going to legislate the full Gonski school funding reforms?" Greens Leader Senator Christine Milne said today.

 Subjects: Labor leadership spill, Gonski

CHRISTINE MILNE: We can't allow the next seven weeks to just be a discussion of Tony Abbott's agenda, which is to try to drive further instability and to try to further undermine confidence in business around Australia. We have to make the next seven weeks a focus on bringing the money forward in the budget to support more money into public education around Australia.

 "Today I am calling on the Prime Minister to introduce the full Gonski school reforms when parliament resumes in May," Greens Leader Senator Christine Milne said.

"Unless the Government introduces the legislation in Budget week we risk the reforms not being bedded down before the election.

"Don't make the first day of parliament the Tony Abbott day of instability. Instead, we should be putting a smile on the faces of students, parents and teachers across the country by putting the funding schedule into Gonski legislation.

Christine Milne answered questions from the press after her speech to the Australian Education Union National Conference

For the transcript of the speech please follow this link to our website: http://greensmps.org.au/content/transcripts/address-aeu-national-conference