A collection of articles on national education policy was posted to the TJ Ryan Foundation website during this year’s federal election campaign. Much of this commentary highlighted the failure of the campaign to confront the policy vacuum which faces administrators in tertiary institutions and those charged with the equitable distribution of public and private funds throughout the education sector. A major contribution to this was Dean Ashenden's article in Inside Story, 'Powerhouse or Gravy Train?', which drew responses from Professor John Quiggin and Dr John McCollow, among others.

In this commentary, Ashenden responds to the comments of Quiggin and McCollow, and expands on the premises raised in his original article.