Peter Lindsay (Herbert, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

I am about to suggest something, member for Shortland, and I hope that you might take up the suggestion. What I want to suggest to the parliament is that perhaps we have a further HECS style scheme whereby students who need a loan to pay for their fees can access that and repay it after they finish university. That would help students with their cost of living. It would take away the worry about and pressure on how they live day to day when they are attending university. I have spoken to a number of students who certainly think that would be a good idea. I would urge the current government to think about some system like that where, instead of increasing Austudy, you in fact help the students by making some dollars available with low-interest loans that they can repay after they get their university degree in the same way as they repay their course fees.

Some people might suggest that this is a burden on young people when they are beginning their professional lives—and, yes, you can make that argument. However, I would argue that these extra funds are so desperately needed to assist our brightest minds whilst they study and that this could be paid off, and I would certainly ask the government to formally consider this suggestion.

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