The majority voted in favour of keeping unchanged the original second reading motion, which is "that the bill be read for a second time" (parliamentary jargon for agreeing with the main idea of the bill).
The MP for Sydney Tanya Plibersek had proposed to amend this motion with the text below.
Amendment text
That all words after "That" be omitted with a view to substituting the following words:
"whilst not declining to give the bill a second reading, the House notes that the Government:
(1) has damaged and neglected Australia's vocational education and training system, cutting over $3 billion from TAFE and training;
(2) is presiding over a disastrous decline in apprenticeships and traineeships; and
(3) is failing to work with employers, unions and TAFEs to rebuild Australia's world-class vocational education system".