Calls for Australia's education minister sacking after university reform bill fails

Australia's Opposition has called for the sacking of the federal education minister after the Senate on Tuesday night blocked attempts to deregulate the higher education sector for the second time in three months.

Despite making concessions, the Australian government failed to appease enough crossbench senators on Tuesday night to get the legislation passed - but may not abandon its controversial plans to deregulate university fees.

Had it passed, the laws would have been the most significant changes to Australia's higher education system, its third-largest export commodity, in a quarter of a century.

The biggest change would be uncapping the fee limit for Commonwealth-supported places, allowing each university to set fees at levels it deems appropriate.

The Coalition government needed six of eight crossbenchers to side with it in Tuesday night's vote but could only gain three.

Opposition higher education spokesman, Labor MP Kim Carr, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Wednesday that Education Minister Christopher Pyne's relationship with the Senate was poisonous.

"It is time for him to consider his future and if he doesn't then he should be sacked," he said.