2016-11-08
The Australian Greens have announced that they will move an amendment to the government’s Vocational Education and Training bill in the Senate to support arts and creative industries in Australia.
“Cleaning up the dodgy rorting in the VET sector should not come at the cost of arts courses and education providers that were doing the right thing,” the Greens’ Education and Arts spokesperson, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.
“Our creative industries employ thousands of people across Australia and help to build the social fabric of our community.
“Stripping almost all of the arts courses from the VET Student Loans Eligible Course List is not an acceptable way forward and I hope that the Senate will see sense and back the Greens’ move.”
The second reading amendment that the Greens will move to the VET Student Loans Bill 2016 reads;
That the Senate calls on the Government to recognise the importance of the Australian arts industry and community by giving greater representation to artistic and creative courses on the VET student loans eligible course list.
“The arts are under sustained attack from this government and they need to be defended,” Senator Hanson-Young said.
“I will also move an amendment stating clearly that public money should not be spent on private, for-profit education providers.
“Our public institutions and artistic communities are too important to lose.”
Media Contact: Noah Schultz-Byard 0427 604 760
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