Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Manufacturing) Share this | Hansard source

I don't think we're going to get anywhere with the government here. They've sent in numerous ministers who aren't across the legislation. I appreciate that they've been here so that we can scrutinise these issues.

We've seen thousands of people lose their jobs from the university sector. They've been unable to account for the impact of the loss of those jobs on research and whether the assessment tools contained in this legislation will find what the impact of the loss of those jobs is on the quality of research, which TEQSA is supposed to investigate, as a result of the COVID pandemic. We know that this is an ideological war by the government against Australia's universities in terms of funding cuts and allowing the private sector to take up more of the field by allowing private players to call themselves university colleges. Sadly, given the government has been so unforthcoming, I don't see any reason to keep this debate going.

The CHAIR: The question is that Greens amendment (1) on sheet 1130 be agreed to.