Brett Mason (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Education) Share this | Hansard source

I have just two issues. Senator Hanson-Young said retrospectivity is taken account of in the government’s amendments. It is not with respect to all students—most, but not all. Secondly, I am sure the Deputy Prime Minister is well motivated and I am sure that she has the best interests of the government at heart, but the opposition will only be satisfied with an extra pathway that is legislatively guaranteed. Any guarantee from the Deputy Prime Minister I am sure is well intentioned, as I say, but it must be in legislation. We are talking here about access and social inclusion with respect to rural kids, and the only way we can be sure of that is to have it in legislation. That is why the opposition is opposing the government’s amendments.

Question put:

That the amendments (Senator Carr’s) be agreed to.