Jason Clare (Blaxland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Education) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Indi for bringing this amendment before the chamber. The member for Indi is somebody who I know is admired and respected by all members on all sides of this chamber. She cited the conversations that we have had about this amendment, and I'm glad to be able to inform the House that, indeed, we will support this amendment. As the member and I have spoken about, we've got great hopes that the Commonwealth prac payment will make a difference in the lives of many students.

This legislation, which establishes Commonwealth prac payments for the first time, applies it to teaching students, nursing students, midwifery students and social work students in the electorate of Indi—and, for that matter, right across the country. The reason it applies to those four in the first instance is that that was the recommendation of Professor Mary O'Kane and the accord team in their final report. In her amendment, the member proposes a review of this in three years time to consider both the effectiveness of these payments and whether they might be expanded to other students undertaking other courses in the future. I think that that is indeed a sensible approach. For that reason, the government will support this amendment.

Question agreed to.

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