Tania Lawrence (Hasluck, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

With all the good things going on in so many areas, it's easy to miss the fact that the recent budget handed down by the Treasurer was very much also an education budget, and that's certainly true in Hasluck. There is a lot in the budget for TAFE and universities, but you don't get to TAFE or university straightaway. What happens at the school level is the foundation of all that follows.

Together with the Cook WA state Labor government, our government has agreed to fully fund all public schools in Western Australia by 2026, to 100 per cent of the school resourcing standard. In Hasluck this has been received really well by the teachers, the schools, parents and students. It will mean more resources to meet student needs across the 44 public schools in my electorate—that's 44 schools, 44 chuffed principals, thousands of grateful teachers and tens of thousands of students and parents who will benefit from this landmark deal now and into the future.

There are many more exciting opportunities post school than ever before. Our vocational education sector is crucial for the green economy. There are 300,000 fee-free TAFE places in the budget over three years for students studying in areas of priority need. Plus, there's $88.8 million for an additional 20,000 fee-free TAFE places with a focus on housing and construction, with 5,000 pre-apprenticeships—that's on top of the 355,000 fee-free TAFE places we delivered last year. We have about 1,900 apprentices working towards their nationally recognised qualifications in Hasluck, and if they're in priority occupations, they will be eligible for a $5,000 incentive to help with cost-of-living pressures so they can complete their training. As well, employers in priority areas will be eligible for a $5,000 incentive to help them take the apprentices on. We are also expanding the New Energy Apprenticeship Program so that more apprentices will be eligible for the $10,000 incentive.

Many students want to go to university, but that can be a big step. The Albanese government is willing to back in students who back themselves, and so we have invested $350 million dollars over the next four years to provide fee-free uni-ready courses to prepare students for university study in cases where they may need bridging. The budget also sees the Commonwealth Prac Payment introduced for students in the field of teaching, nursing, midwifery and social work. This is such a game-changer for these sectors and for people from all backgrounds.

Last year I hosted a cost-of-living help hub at the Swan View Senior High School to provide advice and practical help for people in our community. Among attendees was a young nursing student whose story really resonated deeply with me. Nurses are among our most sought-after professionals in the country, yet there are significant barriers in the paths of aspiring nurses just like her. She spoke of the hurdles she faced in her nursing studies. Like all students studying their nursing degree, she has to undertake unpaid work placements that were essentially full-time commitments for weeks at a stretch. On top of this, she held a casual job to support herself through university. What struck me was the dilemma she confronted daily—after a gruelling day at the hospital, she had to decide whether to work her shifts at her casual job or risk losing those shifts because of being unavailable for many shifts in a row. Despite her passion for nursing, the financial strain caused her to contemplate quitting her studies. Fortunately for her, she had the support of her family to be able to see her through—others may not be so lucky. We should be doing everything in our power to support and encourage more people to pursue nursing careers among many of the other professions, and this is why our Prac Payment is such good policy.

Thousands of students in Hasluck stand to benefit, and at a time when it will also help to address the cost-of-living challenges. On student debt, the Albanese government has listened and has made student debt fairer. The indexation applied not just this year but from now on will be the lower of the CPI or the wage price index. Because this has been backdated to June 2023, it means every person with a student debt in Australia will benefit, and Hasluck that's about 16,500 thousand people—16,500 people in my electorate who will be able see that their debt has reduced. That's 16,500 people better insulated from any future shocks.

This is an education budget, and I and so many people in Hasluck are grateful for the work and foresight of Minister Clare and the Albanese government, who know that if we want to invest in the future, we need to invest in our people.

House adjourned at 19:59