The $25 million cut will undoubtedly impact on the numbers of students accessing a place, the quality of education and the services offered to students. As a graduate and ex-employee of the University I have witnessed the depressing deterioration of the university experience for both students and staff with decreases in subject choice and cuts to services that assist students with the increasing pressure of university life.

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This isn’t helped by the diminishing capacity of lecturers, due to their heavier workloads in an increasing casualised workforce, to provide that one-on-one support to students that makes regional universities so special and attracts many people, including myself, to settle in Armidale.

When the local state member talks about how he will raise this issue at State Conference and in Parliament, and the federal member is not even turning up to the Nationals Conference to fight for us - we must remember that they are members of the governments that made this and other decisions that have had such a negative effect on our region.

If they are standing up for rural and regional Australia, why do we continue to be the poor country cousin in every department? Our region and our University of New England deserve better.

We deserve better.

I am looking forward to again participating in this year’s Labor conferences with delegates from across the New England and Northern Tablelands as we continue to press Labor’s support for education and skills – especially in the regions.

I cannot stand by and witness one more public institution wrecked in our region by this out-of-touch Government and their lackey sidekicks in the National Party