Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

I am always happy to be surprised by my ministerial colleagues when they come up with more savings proposals! Let me also say that I am very surprised about Labor's confected outrage here, given their disastrous track record when it comes to funding higher education.

In the few budgets that Senator Wong was the finance minister for—from 2011-12 onwards—there were $6.6 billion in cuts out of higher education under Labor. So do not come in here with your crocodile tears and try—