Education

John Howard Lie #1

“I can guarantee we’re not going to have $100,000 university degree courses.”
John Howard, interview with Neil Mitchell on Radio 3AW, 15 October 1999

The Truth:

16 different degrees now cost at least $100,000.

John Howard Lie #2

“We have no intention of introducing a loans scheme with a real or indeed any other rate of interest.”
John Howard, in Parliament, 18 October 1999

The Truth:

“Debts accrued under FEE-HELP will be indexed to the consumer price index . . . A loan fee of 20 per cent will apply to FEE-HELP loans for undergraduate courses of study only.”
Higher Education Loan Programme, Department of Education, Science and Training Update, March 2004

John Howard Lie #3

“Well, it means that we’ll not have deregulated fees. In other words, the Government will always maintain a control over what the level of the fee is.” John Howard, interview on Radio 3AW, 15 October 1999

The Truth:

“We do need more money in our universities . . . and some of it should come outside the budget through a managed and sensible deregulation of the system.” John Howard in Parliament, 16 September 2003