Dan Tehan looks like achieving what Christopher Pyne and Simon Birmingham could not, the passage through parliament of structural funding change for higher education

It’s third time lucky for the coalition which appears close to imposing its will on the higher education community. And this will make Mr Tehan a hero in the coalition, for changes that combine faith that the economy requires many more STEM graduates and fewer in law, humanities and business and hope that his policy will be a vote-winner in regions but with very little charity towards HASS scholarship which government backbenchers consider suspect.

Christopher Pyne’s planned a market in HE, with universities free to charge whatever the liked. Simon Birmingham first proposed savings, while leaving demand driven funding in place. The Senate said no to both ministers.

But now Mr Tehan, by the barest majority, is close to having the Senate pass a Heath Robinson funding machine as complex in application as its outcome is unclear, (CMM June 19, 22, 23 and a bunch of subsequent stories).

Still, an about to be win is a win. There’s a reshuffle coming – Mr Tehan will likely be rewarded with his pick of portfolios.