Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

Yes, I am sorry, and the emissions trading system. Thank you, there were six questions. In terms of the procedures of the House, the government made clear and we put it up to the House that we will have the matters debated cognate. You had shadow ministers at the table. The member for Mackellar was there on duty, a sentinel for conservatism at the table, and she did not even raise a whimper. Whilst the opposition make great play at night, as far as I could tell the member for Mackellar had her eyes open. She certainly seemed alive, awake and breathing, a formidable sentinel for conservatism, but when the proposition was for all the bills to be debated cognate she said nothing—not a whimper, not a squeak. The member for Mackellar is a formidable advocate and I have seen her rise on less than a reason in the parliament. If the opposition think there was a reason to debate it, they missed it, so I can understand that they are embarrassed.

On trade training centres, we certainly have done some good work, but I think it is a little specious of the member for Goldstein to say, 'What's happened to apprenticeships, what's happened to trade training centres?' when in fact this whole budget is a telephone book of effort on doing more for apprenticeships, more for training and more for skills. There is a veritable telephone book of accomplishments, and I think I have given the page reference, in Budget Paper No. 1.

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