Tim Watts (Gellibrand, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

We all know that the education minister's political career started when he was a student politician at the University of Adelaide, promising to fight for free higher education. I am told that it was an unsuccessful campaign and that the education minister has continued to strike out in his efforts to impose $100,000 degrees in his latest political office. Before the election the Liberals promised there would be 'no changes to university funding' in their Real Solutions policy pamphlet. In November last year the education minister said the government would not be increasing university fees because they had 'promised not to before the last election'. Yet, come the government's budget of broken promises, the education minister springs the most radical changes to our higher education system in 25 years on Australia—plans to radically Americanise Australia's higher education sector. And, like the unloved and forlorn student politician he once was, the education minister has resorted to the tactics of a desperate and dateless undergrad to get his support for his bill.

Senator Lazarus has today told Australia that Christopher Pyne is 'embarrassing himself and needs to stop harassing' him . He said: 'I am being inundated with text messages from Christopher Pyne virtually begging me to support his reforms. I've never even given Christopher Pyne my mobile number!' Well, I have a message for Christopher Pyne: take a hint. Senator Lazarus has swiped left. Christopher Pyne needs to stop texting and start listening. The Liberal Party did not tell Australians about these higher education reforms before the last election, and Australians do not want them after it.

See this speech in context