Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

He was, as my colleagues point out, a Labor Premier of Queensland. Mr Beattie is proffering that advice, which I pass on to Senator O'Neill and other members of the Labor Party. I urge those members of the Labor Party to understand what experienced people like Mr Beattie say about university reform.

If Senator O'Neill and other Labor Party senators are not terribly enamoured with Mr Beattie's advice, I refer them to the advice of some other prominent Australians. There is Mr Gareth Evans. People who have been in this chamber as long as I have—

Senator Conroy interjecting—

will remember when Gareth Evans, then Senator the Hon. Gareth Evans, was Leader of the Government—the then Labor government—in the Senate. Former Senator Evans is quite open these days about his support for university deregulation. I did not quite get Senator Conroy's interjection—