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

I thank my mate the cracking member for Cunningham, for her question. On Monday the 15 per cent pay rise for early educators was passed by this House. About two hours ago, the legislation to increase funding for our public schools was passed by this House. Both of these reforms are really important. That extra funding will be tied to things like phonics checks, numeracy checks, catch-up tutoring and extra mental health support, because we know that there's a real link between the mental health of students and how they perform at school. That's also why the action that the Prime Minister and the communications minister are taking to end the doomscrolling and get our kids out of the cesspit of social media is so important.

What we announced on the weekend is also important. We announced on the weekend that, if we win the next election, the first piece of legislation we'll introduce will cut student debt for three million Australians by 20 per cent. I've told the House this week about what it will mean in different electorates and different communities right across the country—in the cities, in the suburbs, in the regions, in the bush. This is what it will mean in places with some of the lowest incomes in the country: in Fowler, in the Western Suburbs of Sydney, which has the lowest median personal income in the country, more than 22,000 people will have their student debt cut; in Spence, in the northern suburbs of Adelaide, almost 20,000 people will have their student debt cut; in Calwell, in the north-western suburbs of Melbourne, almost 23,000 people will have their debt cut; and in Watson, more than 24,000 people in the electorate of Watson will have their debt cut.

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