Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

What I think is really quite disappointing about this entire facade happening here today is that we have not been able to come to any agreement that will actually end up supporting students. The advice from the Clerk is that if we do not vote to support the reporting of this bill, it will be the first time it has been done in the Senate’s history. I am quite concerned that the result of this will mean that students around the country are not going to get the support that they deserve. I imagine that the coalition, Senator Fielding, Senator Xenophon and the government would all accept that we need to ensure that we offer students more support not less.

I am absolutely disappointed at the way this has been managed from day one—from budget night—all the way up to last night when the games started. My understanding is that if we do not vote to support the reporting of this bill, this bill will sit in limbo forever. It is not just that we do not get the scholarships; we do not get all the other positive things that we have all acknowledged are also in the bill. It is really quite concerning. If we do not vote to support the reporting of this bill, those families on $44,000 will not get one dollar of youth allowance support.