The Senate isn’t assured

There are petitions and appeals for the Senate to knock back the course funding changes – they have certainly worked in the past 

The coalition has 36 of the 39 Senate votes it needs to pass legislation with five possibles on the cross-bench, Jacqui Lambie, Pauline Hanson’s One Nation (two) and the SA based Centre Alliance, (two).

On education the Centre Alliance senators are said to listen to their House of Representatives colleague, Rebekha Sharkie (Mayo) who wants graduates to be employable – and employed. As she put it in the Reps; “we must look at how we prepare the next generation for the world of work to ensure young people successfully transition to sustainable employment. Right now we have university educated young people stacking shelves at supermarkets because there are few graduate jobs, (Hansard, September 13 2017).

But then again, on Saturday Ms Sharkie tweeted, “I will be forever grateful to Flinders for my arts degree,  It took me ten years to complete while working and raising three children. I would not have had my career or the privilege of sitting in the Houses of Representative without it.

If Senator Hanson goes with the government and Centre Alliance doesn’t it will up to Senator Lambie.