Brett Mason (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Universities and Research) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Conroy. I refer the minister to the fact that the Prime Minister has described the Gonski reforms as 'the biggest change to school education in 40 years'. I also refer the minister to the fact that only two hours and 45 minutes has been allocated to debate the Australian Education Bill 2013 and the Australian Education (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2013, in aggregate. Isn't the government's refusal to allow proper parliamentary debate on what it alleges to be the greatest change to school education in 40 years indicative of the shallowness of the government's rhetoric and its desire to avoid genuine scrutiny of its own legislation?