The Federal opposition has demanded that the new Turnbull government drop any plans that would increase university fees.

The Labor leader, Bill Shorten, also told students at Queensland University of Technology of his plans to increase the number of graduates.

Ashleigh Whittaker reports.

TRANSCRIPT

The newly appointed Education Minister Simon Birmingham, has hinted that he may dump a plan to deregulate university fees proposed by Tony Abbott and Bill Shorten demanded that he do so.

He insisted that the Liberal policy would make it hard for Australians from modest backgrounds to afford university and universities wouldn’t want to charge huge fees.

Bill Shorten, Federal Opposition Leader: “The problem with the liberal philosophy of deregulation at universities is by cutting 20% of the funding to universities and then deregulating the price of going to university, universities will be left with no choice but to increase the price for young people going to university.”

Labor’s policy would see the boost to university funding by more than 27% by 2018.

Mr Shorten urged Malcolm Turnbull to adopt the same aim.

Bill Shorten, Federal Opposition Leader: “The only issue now is that Labor does not trust the Liberals to simply drop their nasty plans for $100,00 degrees.”

Bill Shorten said the Labor policy would focus more on the number of those graduating than the number of those enrolling.

Mr Shorten described the Liberals plan to deregulate universities as a real disincentive.

He proposed that a Labor government would increase graduates but failed to specify how.

Ashleigh Whittaker, QUT News.