Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Hansard source

But that's okay. We need to make sure that this inquiry is superseded by a proper inquiry. If we are fortunate enough to win government at the next election, we will conduct a real inquiry. We won't make an announcement a few weeks before Christmas, tell industry that they've got until 25 January to put submissions in, and then make a decision so that we can throw money around to the private sector. We won't be doing that. We will conduct a proper review of both VET and higher education.

It's got to the stage that Senator Cash is so on the nose that the government won't even let her conduct the inquiry through her department. The PMO is conducting the inquiry. It just demonstrates that Senator Cash is a diminished minister, a disgraced minister and a minister incapable of carrying out the job that she should be carrying out. I seek leave to continue my remarks later.

Leave granted; debate adjourned.