The government’s Higher Education reforms are destined to fail in the Senate, with Labor, the Greens and most of the crossbench opposing fee deregulation in any form.

Senator Lee Rhiannon is calling on the government to scrap the Bill and open up a national dialogue about higher education.

Adam Bandt MP has called on Tony Abbott to immediately confirm $150 million in funding for Australian researchers and research infrastructure that Education Minister Christopher Pyne has placed under threat.

Greens Deputy Leader and science, research and innovation spokesperson Adam Bandt MP today said that world-class research facilities around the country and about 1700 jobs face the axe from June 30 this year under Education Minister Christopher Pyne’s desperate attempt to pass his Higher Education bill by blackmailing the Senate.

“Education Minister Christopher Pyne is blackmailing the Parliament, saying that unless the Parliament passes his plan to increase university fees, he’ll take the axe to science and research facilities in this country,” Mr Bandt said.

The Australian Greens say massive cuts to research and development, passed through the Senate today by the Liberals, Nationals, Palmer United Party and Independent Nick Xenophon, is another act of intergenerational theft.

"Cutting support for research and development is a short-sighted way to balance the Budget and will help drive the country's investment in research to a 30-year low," said Greens science, research and innovation spokesperson Adam Bandt MP.

Senator RHIANNON (New South Wales) (15:44): by leave—I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) the Sunswift University of New South Wales Solar Racing Team was recently confirmed by the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile to have broken the world speed record for electric vehicles, averaging more than 100 km/hr over 500 km on a single battery charge,

Tony Abbott has cut investment into science, research and innovation to the equal lowest level since records began in the 1970s, Greens Deputy Leader and Science & Research spokesperson, Adam Bandt MP, said today.

"Analysis of recently released Treasury ‘Science, Research & Innovation Budget Tables’ reveals for the first time just how low the country's investment into R&D is falling and it's a truly shocking picture," said Mr Bandt.

Following the Senate voting in favour of a Greens’ motion on CSIRO cuts today, Deputy Greens Leader and Science spokesperson Adam Bandt MP said the Government should immediately reverse cuts to CSIRO’s AAH Laboratory, which conducts research into Avian Influenza, SARS, the Hendra virus and most recently Ebola.

“The Government must now immediately reverse its $111m cuts so that CSIRO’s AHHL can operate at its full capacity,” said Mr Bandt.

The Senate voted in favour of a Senate motion moved by Greens Senator Richard Di Natale that called for the cuts to CSIRO and the Australian Animal Health Laboratory to be reversed.

The text of the motion is as follows: