Tony Abbott backpedals on uni fees and defence cuts after ragged week for the coalition
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[QUOTE]The Federal Government has announced backdowns on its university overhaul and defence force pay, after what Prime Minister Tony Abbott has described as a "ragged week" for his government.
In a wide-ranging press conference this morning, Mr Abbott said he wanted to address "head on" some of the recent criticism of his government.
On Australian Defence Force pay, he announced that several allowances, including Christmas leave, would not be cut.
"Defence pay and defence allowances are paid out of the overall defence budget," he said.
"So the $17 million that it will cost to restore these allowances will come out of the defence budget - there won't be extra money put in."
But Mr Abbott said service men and women would still get a pay rise of 1.5 per cent, given the pressure on the budget.
Former Palmer United, now independent Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie had declared she would not support any government legislation unless defence force personnel were given a better deal.
Education Minister Christopher Pyne has also conceded to crossbench demands on his higher education changes, retaining the student interest rate at the consumer price index instead of lifting it to the higher bond rate.
The Government has also agreed to a proposal from Victorian senator John Madigan to give students who are new parents a five-year interest rate pause.
And more changes to the university package have been flagged.
"We are continuing to talk with all members of the crossbench," Mr Abbott said.
"I don't presume to know what the final outcome will be but we are determined to deal with this matter one way or another in this final sitting week of the year."
The higher education changes will cost hundreds of millions of dollars to a budget already sinking deeply into the red.[/QUOTE]
[url]http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-12-01/tony-abbott-concedes-government-had-ragged-week/5929996[/url]
[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/oYhpBsd.jpg[/IMG]
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