He says the change of heart at the weekend’s National Party conference reflected an understanding of the position of regional universities whose student services had been decimated under Voluntary Student Unionism.

“It is to be hoped that the National Party Federal Parliamentarians will respond to the wishes of their rank and file members and vote with the Government if this Bill is reintroduced,” he says.

The National Party MPs voted against the Bill to restore student services at universities in Federal Parliament last week.

At the weekend’s Party conference delegates turned that around supporting a deferrable, compulsory tertiary students services fee for the purpose of funding sport and health care at universities, but recommended that discounts or exemptions be considered for external students.

“The National Party’s young rank and file members realise that it is rural and regional students who have the most to gain through a return to properly funded services on campus,” Dr Torbay says.

“Universities are not just about text books and tutorials. Students benefit from a whole range of experiences during their period of university.

“This particularly applies to regional campuses because their students don’t have access to the same level of services and facilities as many metropolitan students.”