The National Union of Students has called a week of action (28 October-1 November) during which students from around the country will be organising protests against the Coalition government’s impending attacks on education and on student organisation.

Since coming to office, senior Liberal ministers have made announcements about their plans to attack students. Just days after being sworn in as education minister, Christopher Pyne declared that he would be repealing the Student Services Amenities Fee (SSAF) and would be looking at reintroducing caps on university places.

Repealing SSAF would drastically impinge upon the ability of students to organise politically through our already denuded student unions. Caps on places are designed to further entrench elitism on university campuses by privileging students who went to exclusive private schools or who can pay fees up front.

More recently it was announced that the government would be looking to sell HECS debt to private companies. Australia already has the second most privatised higher education sector of all OECD countries. Selling student debt is a step towards raising fees.

Students are already massively burdened by the financial costs of studying. Dramatic measures like those proposed by the Liberals will drive students further into poverty and will make it impossible for many working class students even to consider going to university.

Conservative fanatics like Christopher Pyne were going stir crazy in opposition. Now he can’t help but blurt out all of his plans to give to the rich and attack students. But rather than risk a backlash against Pyne, the Liberal Party has attempted to back-pedal on its leaked agenda.

Instead Abbott has announced an “inquiry” into higher education. It is a ploy to conjure up some justification for deregulation, fee increases, more funding cuts and more attacks on student unions.

But students are beginning from a worse position than under the Howard government. The Labor government continued the push towards deregulation throughout its term and just this year cut $2.3 billion from university funding and abolished Centrelink start-up scholarships.

We cannot afford to wait around for the official findings of Abbott’s inquiry. We need to send a message now that we will not meekly accept our education being handed over to the dogs of the market and will not accept our student unions being further smashed and undermined.

The week of action is an opportunity for students to make a submission to the inquiry. The campaign this year against the $2.3 billion in funding cuts has involved the most student protests in almost a decade. The momentum that this campaign has built now needs to turn towards new targets: Abbott, Pyne and their sham inquiry.

Join the day of action

Melbourne: Wednesday 30 October 30, 12:30 at Parliament House.

Sydney: Wednesday 30 October, 5pm at central bus stops, Railway Square.

Perth: Wednesday 30 October, 12pm at the Guild precinct, Curtin University.

Adelaide: Thursday 31 October, 11am at Christopher Pyne’s office. 429 Magill Rd, St Morris.

For more info contact Sarah 0423 742 453.