Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Hansard source

What we have here, Senator Mason, are some rather misguided approaches that the coalition are seeking to pursue on this issue. If they are serious about taking up the issue of regional participation, they want to stick to the current arrangements, which, according to their own former shadow minister:

… particularly disadvantages many students—particularly those from the country—who have to leave home to study …

But they would be better than the proposals that you have. The coalition, frankly, should drop these amendments if they are serious about engagement with students from rural and regional areas. Their proposals would in fact mean that 150,000 new scholarships would be blocked.