George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Minister for the Arts and Sport) Share this | Hansard source

Through you, Mr Temporary Chairman: Senator Stott Despoja, I do not know what the minister said in the House of Representatives. What she said is a matter of public record. Why that proposal was not made at the time is not something that I am in a position to tell you. What I can tell you, as I indicated in an earlier answer, is that it is not proposed that there be delegated legislation; it is proposed that these safeguards be contained as terms of the funding agreements with the higher education providers. With all due respect, Senator Stott Despoja, it is a little bit rich that, of all people, an Australian Democrat senator should be complaining that this is policy on the run when an issue has arisen—it was first raised by Senator Barnaby Joyce—to which the government has responded in the course of the parliamentary debate and in the manner in which I have indicated. Isn’t that what the Senate is for, Senator Stott Despoja?