Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I would direct members who are seriously interested—as opposed to members, like the member for Sturt, who are clearly so interested in playing politics that they cannot sit and listen—to this editorial, because I think it makes some powerful points to members of the opposition. It is not uncritical of me. It is not uncritical of the original version of the legislation. Acknowledging that it has now been amended and saying to the opposition, ‘It’s time to retreat on student grants,’ the editorial says:

The government, amid a storm of criticism from student representatives, saw reason and amended its plans. That, surely, should have been enough—but the opposition, having had one victory, will not let go. The changes are not enough, it says. It wants to split the measure so the government’s more generous allowance goes through, while the savings measures are held up. This is simply irresponsible. In pursuit of this dubious objective, the opposition and its allies are willing to hold students hostage as a new academic year approaches. They should back down.

They are the words of the editors of the Sydney Morning Herald. But we then look to who else is calling on the opposition to pass this bill.

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