Stephen Jones and Sharon Bird today called on Liberal MP Ann Sudmalis to stand up to Tony Abbott and protect the future of higher education in the region.

Whilst speaking on the Higher Education and Research Reform Bill 2014 Ms Sudmalis declared that she 100 per cent supported the Governments planned university reforms.

Mr Jones said that Ms Sudmalis speech showed that she was unconcerned about students in her electorate being hit with enormous levels of debt

A university education is a means by which people can further themselves and achieve a level of income and job satisfaction that otherwise may not be possible.

It is vital that higher education in Australia remains accessible to all. This will not be the case if students are slugged $100,000 dollars to attend university.

Labor believes that talent and ambition should determine who gets a university degree, not someones bank balance.

Ms Bird said that the Gilmore MP was clearly out of touch with community concerns.

Ms Sudmalis needs to listen to her constituents and ask herself what kind of higher education system do we want in Australia?

Tony Abbott and Christopher Pyne want our universities to be the preserve of the wealthy elite.

I encourage her to have a good look at our debt sentence calculator and see just how expensive higher education could become. Yes the Abbott/Pyne plan may make a university education a more lucrative product but it will also mean that not everyone gets a fair go.