Jacqui Lambie (Tasmania, Palmer United Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak to the Higher Education Support Amendment (Savings and Other Measures) Bill 2013. Before I describe the purpose of this legislation I will make this general comment about relevance. Members of the Australian Defence Force have children who are participating in higher education courses or aspire to participate in higher education courses. This debate is relevant to them on two important levels. Now that it is official that they will have less income and entitlements—thanks to this Liberal government—any additional cost or lost opportunity to save on higher education expenses is very important and relevant to them. They know that if my 'vote no' campaign against government legislation in this Senate succeeds in shaming this government into offering a fair pay for our military then our ADF families will have more funds to invest in their children's higher education.

Therefore, whether I directly speak to provisions of this legislation or I speak to the Liberal betrayal of the ADF's pay and entitlements, I consider that I am being relevant to this legislation and respecting the standing orders of this Senate. I will be very disappointed if any member of this place, in order to gag me and silence the voices of women and men in the ADF in this Senate, claims that I am not being relevant to provisions of the Higher Education Support Amendment (Savings and Other Measures) Bill 2013.

The purpose of the bill is to amend legislation—