Carina Garland (Chisholm, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I know how important education is to my wonderful community in Chisholm, and it's really important to me too. I've always been an advocate of accessible and affordable pathways to higher and vocational education, and the opportunities that they deliver for people, communities and, indeed, our nation. I'm really pleased that a re-elected Albanese Labor government will cut student debt by 20 per cent for everyone. It will also reduce the amount graduates have to repay each year and will make free TAFE courses permanent. This is just the start of our positive plan for a second term—helping with the cost of living and building Australia's future.

We've been working hard to take pressure off Australians. We know it's been tough for people. Labor has rolled out tax cuts for every taxpayer. We've boosted bulk-billing and we've made child care and medicine cheaper. Our second term will build on these strong foundations. We'll cut around $5½ thousand from an average university student's debt, and making the repayment system fairer will ensure that take-home pay will be boosted for people repaying student debt. This is about putting money back into the pockets of young people and putting intergenerational equity back into the system. Together, we can keep building Australia's future.

See this speech in context