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'Man up': Today host Karl Stefanovic lays into Christopher Pyne

By Eryk Bagshaw

Education Minister Christopher Pyne's rocky week got worse on Wednesday morning when Today host Karl Stefanovic launched a fresh attack on the Abbott government.

A day after a feisty exchange with Prime Minister Tony Abbott, the presenter ramped up his criticism of the government's performance, telling Mr Pyne to "man up."

Mr Pyne appeared on the TV show in a bid to turn around some of the bad publicity from the defeat of higher university deregulation legislation and allegations of harassment.

It didn't take long for Stefanovic to turn his attention to claims by Palmer United Party Senator Glenn Lazarus that Mr Pyne had harassed him via text message, labeling the fiasco "like an episode of The Bold and the Beautiful."

Karl Stefanovic is on a roll ... he's now grilled Christopher Pyne after Tony Abbott.

Karl Stefanovic is on a roll ... he's now grilled Christopher Pyne after Tony Abbott.

Mr Pyne jokingly dismissed the jibe. "I haven't sent any flowers or chocolates to Senator Lazarus so I hope nobody is sending them in my name," he said.

Stefanovic then took aim at the government's inability to pass key budget measures.

"Here's the issue," Stefanovic said. "You can't get your own policies through the Senate, but you can't even get it through your own people."

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Mr Pyne said he was confident a fresh attempt to pass university deregulation would be successful next year.

Pyne jokingly dismisses Stefanovic's jibes about Palmer United Party Senator Glenn Lazarus.

Pyne jokingly dismisses Stefanovic's jibes about Palmer United Party Senator Glenn Lazarus.

"I'm not in the least bit dismayed. My view is that's democracy...this morning I am bouncing back and putting up a new reform bill,' Mr Pyne said.

On Wednesday, Mr Pyne introduced a new bill into the House of Representatives containing new concessions, including a five-year interest rate freeze for new parents, a $100 million structural fund for universities, new scholarships for disadvantaged students and fee price monitoring by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

The bill will be considered by the Senate after Parliament resumes in February.

Mr Pyne said he was confident he could convince the Senate to vote in favour of the reforms next year.

"This is good reform - it's inevitable reform," he told reporters in Canberra. "It will pass the Senate at some stage. I believe in it fervently."

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Original URL: https://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/man-up-today-host-karl-stefanovic-lays-into-christopher-pyne-20141203-11yz5o.html