on 21-05-2014 01:31 PM
Tony Abbott’s daughter Frances received a “chairman’s scholarship” for a degree costing more than $60,000 from the Whitehouse Institute of Design where an Abbott donor sits as chairman on the board of governors, Guardian Australia can reveal.
The revelation raises questions for the prime minister over whether the scholarship should have been declared on his interests register.
The Coalition government is also under pressure over changes to higher education funding announced in the budget.
Frances Abbott undertook a bachelor of design at the Whitehouse Institute of Design in Sydney from 2011 to 2013. Guardian Australia has confirmed that she received a scholarship during her time at the institute.
“Frances definitely was a student with us and received a chairman’s scholarship,” Leanne Whitehouse, director of the Institute told Guardian Australia. She declined to detail how many times the “chairman’s scholarship” has been awarded previously, but the institute’s website makes no references to the scholarship and states the institute “does not currently offer scholarships to gain a place into the Bachelor of Design”.
on 23-05-2014 05:13 PM
@just*duff wrote:lol. protests were organised the SAME day. all around the country. not since FA was found out to have had a free ride.
not protests as in marches etc........just general complaints since the story broke.
how is fair that she gets a free education, when everyone else will be paying more. blah blah etc
this all happened back before her father would have even decided to make these policies.
maybe they should make it retrospective and include all people who finished degrees in 2011.......which to me is the same as what is happening here
on 23-05-2014 05:19 PM
@*mrgrizz* wrote:
@just*duff wrote:lol. protests were organised the SAME day. all around the country. not since FA was found out to have had a free ride.
not protests as in marches etc........just general complaints since the story broke.
how is fair that she gets a free education, when everyone else will be paying more. blah blah etc
this all happened back before her father would have even decided to make these policies.
maybe they should make it retrospective and include all people who finished degrees in 2011.......which to me is the same as what is happening here
Her dad did not giver her a job in the family business.
She was given favour by people who could potentially want favour from her father in the future.
Pay now for favour later kind of thing. The sort of thing that poeple are getting into trouble with ICAC over. The sort of thing he should have listed int he pecuniary interests register.
I wonder if he claimed her as a dependent for tax purposes during that time.
on 23-05-2014 05:21 PM
so a $60000 gamble?
on 23-05-2014 05:24 PM
Her father was always going to make these policies. lol- historically its what the Libs do and is why they always have a surplus.
on 23-05-2014 05:27 PM
@just*duff wrote:Her father was always going to make these policies. lol- historically its what the Libs do and is why they always have a surplus.
there was never any garantee that he would become PM
on 23-05-2014 05:28 PM
on 23-05-2014 05:30 PM
on 23-05-2014 05:34 PM
@am*3 wrote:
"this all happened back before her father would have even decided to make these policies.
maybe they should make it retrospective and include all people who finished degrees in 2011.......which to me is the same as what is happening here"
No it isn't . The main issue about the scholarship was it does not appear to be given on merit.
The fact that FA had $60 000 tuition for free is grating on people now, in light of the budget changes for Increased Uni fees.
the fact is that the women who owns that PRIVATE college has the right to do whatever she wishes with her $60000
just as I do with the $10 i have spare
maybe she thought it may be good advertisng to say Tony Abbotts daughter is a student here
23-05-2014 05:37 PM - edited 23-05-2014 05:40 PM
on 23-05-2014 05:38 PM