Mr LEE (5:07 PM) —I wish to make it clear to the Main Committee that in many ways I do not expect the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education, Training and Youth Affairs to respond to some of the questions I am putting to her this afternoon, in that we hold not her but the minister for education responsible for the inaction in many of these areas. As she is here representing the minister, however, I am sure she understands that she is the one expected to answer these questions.

I would say to the parliamentary secretary: surely you do not seriously expect people involved in higher education in Australia to think that the minuscule amount of additional funding for research would in any way address the concerns that Dr Kemp admitted in private, in the leaked cabinet submission when he spoke about the massive increase in student-staff ratios, the cutbacks in tutorial times, the fact that some campuses were at risk and the fact that universities are in a state of crisis. Surely you are not arguing that a minuscule increase in funding for research can in any way address this enormous need in higher education. What does the minister intend to do to address the crisis? Or is the truth that Dr Kemp still has that plan, that leaked cabinet submission, in his top drawer, waiting to bring it out as soon as the next election passes?

Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mrs De-Anne Kelly) —The member for Dobell should put his questions through the chair.