Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

As Senator Evans points out, there is only one person who has successfully emasculated any creature in this place, and that is Senator Back as a practising and eminent veterinarian.

I indicate that it is important that this legislation is passed at these stages for these reasons. Firstly, this legislation establishes a national vocational education and training regulator to be responsible for registering training organisations, accrediting VET qualifications and courses and establishing performance benchmarks. That is unambiguously a good thing which I think has been acknowledged in part by the opposition, by Senator Mason and by Senator Back. We need to have that level of oversight, of benchmarking, of performance criteria at a national level. The activities of this regulator will include registration, quality assurance, performance reporting, risk assessment and audit and renewal of registration and accreditation. I think it is crucial that we have this national approach because current regulation of the sector is dispersed between the states and territories and this bill is following COAG agreement to establish national standards. I note the remarks in relation to Victoria and Western Australia in terms of not coming on board at this stage. I am sure that has nothing to do, Senator Mason, with the fact that they happen to be coalition governments—