Max Chandler-Mather (Griffith, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

One of the greatest hypocrisies in this place is that so many Labor and Liberal politicians went to university for free in the eighties and graduated without a student debt. Those same Labor and Liberal politicians have decided that they are going to oppose free university education today, forcing countless students to graduate with tens of thousands of dollars in student debt just for going to university. Why is it that it's always one rule for wealthy politicians in this place and another rule for everyone else?

What we know is that, right now, there are students across this country and people who have graduated from university with massive student debts. They are huge. They are $40,000, $50,000, $60,000 and sometimes $70,000. Even after Labor's pathetic changes, their debts will still go up every year. They will still be indexed every year, which means that, come tax time when they go to collect their tax, they will get an extra pay cut because they have to pay off a student debt they should not have incurred. The reality is that we have a bunch of Labor and Liberal politicians in this place who have decided that, for them, there are no sacrifices. Every politician in this place got a $4,500 tax cut passed by this House and supported by the Labor and Liberal parties. There's a $4,500 tax cut for them and a lot of them got to go to university for free, but, when it comes to students today, they have to cop massive student debts. Meanwhile, in Norway, university is free for students, because in that country they tax their resources industry fairly. They tax big multinational corporations. They make them pay their fair share in tax. As a result, every student in Norway gets to go to university for free.

In Australia, it's the other way around. Labor and the Liberal Party will tax students and force them to pay massive student debts so that they can keep taxes on big multinational gas corporations low. That's the choice that they've made. This is a generation that is already copping low wages and skyrocketing rents and house prices, and is already looking down the barrel of a future much less prosperous than their parents' one was. Now they have to contemplate sitting on a $40,000 or $50,000 debt, which means that when they go to get a loan from the bank to buy a house they're less likely to be able to get that loan. It means that their pay will be less every year because they're having to pay off a student debt that they should not have incurred. The harsh reality is that, more often than not, young people are told that if they want to get a job in this economy they have to go to university. Well, now they're being told that not only do you have to go to university; you have to graduate with a $40,000 or $50,000 debt that goes up every year and is still indexed.

The total student debt in this country is $78 billion. To put that into perspective, over the next 10 years property investors, including many property investors in this place, including the Prime Minister, will get $176 billion in tax handouts. What if we scrapped those tax handouts and used that money to forgive student debt and make university free again? To put that into perspective again, in one year some of the biggest oil and gas corporations in this country made $100 billion in revenue and paid zero dollars in tax. Just one year of revenue from the oil and gas corporations in this country could have wiped all student debt in this country—all of it.

The reality is that over the next few years student debt is going to get bigger and bigger. It's going to keep going up as house prices keep going up and rents keep going up and corporate profits keep going up, and we're going to become a more and more unequal country. How is it fair that decades ago, when Australia was a much less wealthy country, so many people, including people in this place, went to university for free? Those people included my mum, who was the first one in her family to go to university. She grew up in Ipswich in a working-class family in the 1980s. The only reason she went university was that it was free. She was the first one in her family to go. Her parents were textile factory workers. She got that opportunity because university was free. Well, how many working people in this country right now are choosing not to go to university because they know that they will have to cop a massive $40,000 or $50,000 debt? Why is it that now the only people in this country who can go and get a higher education and go to university are those who are prepared to cop a massive debt that cripples them financially for decades to come? It's desperately unfair.

The other part of this bill is about placement payments for nurses and social workers and teachers, who as part of their university degrees often have to go and do huge numbers of hours of unpaid work. They're effectively doing the job of a nurse or a teacher or a social worker. Now, the government are claiming a victory here because they're going to pay these people $8 an hour—$319 a week—while those people are also copping a massive student debt. To be clear, the average rent in this country is over $600, which means that, for someone who is being paid $319 a week, their pay is almost half of what the average rent in this country is.

Politics is ultimately about choices, and the government could choose to tax multinational gas corporations fairly, to wipe student debt and to make university free again. They could choose to phase out tax handouts for property investors and to make university free again. Instead what they've chosen is desperate poverty for students, huge student debt, crippling debt for life, and a deeply unequal and unfair country.

Emma McBride (Dobell, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am proud to support this bill, the Universities Accord (Student Support and Other Measures) Bill 2024, and I am so proud to be part of a government that is taking action to make higher education better and fairer and to create reliable pathways to higher education and give more people, including in communities like mine on the Central Coast of New South Wales, the opportunity to get the education and training that they need for a steady job and a good career.

We are introducing the Commonwealth prac payment for teaching students, nursing students, midwifery students and social work students. That will provide real help for students so that they can finish their placements and complete their degrees. We're expanding fee-free university-ready courses that will prepare students for university and give even more people the opportunity to undertake a degree. And we will wipe almost $3 billion of HELP debt for more than three million people. Labor has listened to students and people who want to go to university to undertake higher education, and we are making real changes that will make a practical difference.

In hospitals, headspace centres and Medicare mental health centres right across the country, I've been hearing from nursing and social work students. I recently met with Chelsea at headspace Wagga. She is finishing her social work degree at the same time as supporting young people across the Riverina. Chelsea and other social work students have told me about the real financial pressure they face during their placements. I've heard from students who've had to give up their job and others who've had to move and travel far away from home. Others are supporting families whilst completing their placement. And, for some students, this has meant that, despite their very best efforts, they haven't been able to finish their degree. For social work students that includes completing 1,000 hours of professional practice, which is the equivalent of six months.

The prac payments will provide eligible students with $319.50 each week while they're on placement, and I've heard directly from social work students about the real difference this will make to them. It will offer them the support they need to focus on their placement. As the education minister has said, the prac payment is practical support for practical support for practical placements. Teaching, nursing, midwifery and social work students just like Chelsea are giving so much to local communities, and this bill will mean that they have the help they need to finish their training and complete their degrees to start their careers.

In Newcastle on the Central Coast, I've heard from so many students who've had the opportunity to go to university because of free-free uni-ready courses, otherwise known as enabling courses and open foundation. The University of Newcastle's enabling foundation, as we will soon hear from the member for Newcastle, is one of the best examples in Australia and has supported more than 70,000 students since it was first introduced—70,000 students who otherwise wouldn't have had the opportunity to have a higher education. The program enables students to select courses based on their areas of interest while learning important skills for study, including research, writing and communication. I've met with many students who have gone through enabling programs or whilst they're undertaking them.

I also want to recognise the educators that provide these courses. They're really capable and dedicated people, giving students the wraparound support they need to be successful and to start their degrees. Importantly, as I've mentioned students receive wraparound support. A former classmate of mine Dr Christensen worked as an enabling educator for many years. She guided students through challenges and connected them to other supports that they might need. It really makes a significant difference in someone's life.

At the University of Newcastle nearly one in five students who have graduated over the past 10 years started their courses as part of a free enabling program. Some of you who were in the previous parliament might remember that the former coalition government wanted to introduce fees for enabling programs. We're now expanding them, and I'm so proud of the people I know who started their study at a university-ready course, like my friend Renee, who I was in contact with today. She completed Open Foundation at the Ourimbah Campus and is now a level 6 NICU nurse working in a surgical NICU unit caring for the sickest babies in New South Wales. The difference that Open Foundation made to Renee—to her life, to her family and to the many babies and families that she's supported—is just remarkable.

My former colleague Sam—we met when I was a newly registered pharmacist, and she was a pharmacy assistant. Sam is now a mum and a speech pathologist, and she has recently started working in private practice. Again, the real difference that fee-free uni-ready courses make to an individual, to a family and to a community is just remarkable.

My brother Eddi checked in with me last night because he'd been following this legislation closely. He's a local plumber and is running his own business. He's had many apprentices over the years, and now he's finishing an MBA, and this started with him going through an open foundation program.

This bill will uncap fee-free uni-ready courses across Australia, so that more people get the skills they need to start a degree—just like Renee and Sam and my brother Eddi, who all studied through the program at the University of Newcastle. This change is expected to increase the number of people undertaking a fee-free uni-ready course by about 40 per cent by the end of the decade—a significant boost in the number of people, particularly in communities like mine, in the outer suburbs and the regions, that haven't had the same chance to be able to have a crack, as the education minister says, at higher education and the real skills they need for the jobs of today and the future. This will make sure that even more people have the opportunity and support to begin university and get the skills and training that they need and deserve.

In universities, I've also heard from students and graduates who are concerned about increases in student debt. We know a lot of people and families are feeling the pressure right now. It is tough. We've listened to those students, and, through this bill, we are responding. We are wiping around $3 billion in student debt from three million Australians—that's $3 billion in student debt from three million Australians. I know the real difference that that will make for many people holding student debt in my community on the Central Coast.

Importantly, we are backdating this relief so that the unfair CPI indexation of 7.1 per cent last year will be replaced with the lower WPI of 3.2 per cent. As Minister Clare has said, someone with an average debt of around $26,500 will see a benefit of $1,200 of relief, someone with a debt of $45,000 will see their debt wiped by around $2,000 and someone with a debt of $60,000 will have their debt cut by almost $2,700—significant reductions. We're listening to students and making a real difference for them. This is real relief for people with a student debt, at a time when they're feeling the pressure.

These are practical measures and they were all recommended in the final report of the Universities Accord. We're taking real action to make them happen now; to make higher education better and fairer, so that more people have the opportunity to get the training they need; and to make sure that those students who aspire to become the health professionals of the future have the support they need.

In finishing, just after the budget and this policy were announced, I was with the Prime Minister and the member for Robertson, Dr Gordon Reid, and we visited Gosford Hospital, part of the Central Coast Local Health District, and we heard directly from nurses, as we went to a cardiac unit in Gosford Hospital, who spoke about the real difference that this will make for nurses and midwives. I'm so pleased to see this practical support for health practitioners in training, and graduates, because of the really important work they do in communities like mine and right across Australia. I'm pleased to support this bill.

James Stevens (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Government Waste Reduction) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I appreciate the opportunity to make a few comments on this bill, the Universities Accord (Student Support and Other Measures) Bill 2024. Obviously, the coalition have made it clear that we want to see the Senate committee process progress. I think it's in early October that they're due to finalise their deliberations over this bill. On the face of it, it does some good things, but, equally, we want to properly engage with the sector and stakeholders and understand whether there are any unforeseen aspects to this bill, and we reserve our position on it until that process concludes.

We have got goodwill towards certain measures in this bill. Clearly the measure that provides relief under the HECS-HELP scheme is one that, on the face of it, has merit, because people with student debt are no different to any other Australians at the moment who are suffering under this significant cost-of-living crisis, and, when you've got student debt, if you've also got a mortgage—and mortgage rates have been going up dramatically in the last few years—then of course it's putting a lot of pressure on household budgets. So, assuming anything unforeseen isn't raised through the committee process, that seems to have merit.

But there is a regrettable aspect to this, because—if you unpack why there's a benefit to choosing the lower of inflation versus the wage price index, when you're elevating the balance of debt—it's only going to help people because of the fact that wages have been going backwards. For periods when wage growth is running behind inflation and, therefore, real wages are going down, this policy change provides a benefit. That's great for the balances of student debt but it underscores that those same people and many millions of others, through the period that this will provide a benefit, have been enduring a dramatic reduction in their real wages. This is something very significant that is happening in our economy.

We know that people are making very difficult decisions around the kitchen table, trying to make the household budget balance. They're having to make sacrifices and find ways to trim their normal habits. There are pretty reasonable things—family holidays to a caravan park over a long weekend and other things that are quite reasonable for Australians to enjoy—that have to be sacrificed because mortgages are going up, rents are going up and utility prices are going up. In the case of people with student debt, their payments on the debt are going up. That element of the bill will, hopefully, see some relief. But I hope that this change isn't one that will provide a benefit very often into the future, because I want the wage price index to be running higher than the inflation rate all the time. That means that people's real wages are going up. This change that we make is only going to benefit people because their real wages are going backwards. We know the retrospectivity of this means that it will absolutely provide a benefit to people through its passage, because we know what the last two inflaters of student debt were. In both cases, the wage price index was lower. But, as I say, that underscores the fact that it's lower than inflation and, therefore, people's real rages are going down.

The other element of the bill people might not be surprised to hear me reflect on with some suspicion is this mandate for the student services fee to go to student led organisations. Like a lot of people in my party room, I started out in student politics, and one of our great crusades on campus was always voluntary student unionism and student choice. Indeed, it was the Howard government who pursued voluntary student unionism when I was the Young Liberal president in the state of South Australia. I look very regretfully upon the behaviour of some of the student organisations on campus right now. Some of the most nasty, vile, disgusting things that I've ever seen in my lifetime are happening on Australian university campuses. Student groups are forming to glorify terrorism, to promote disgraceful antisemitic attitudes and to engage in conduct that is obstructing the very reason that people go to our great higher education institutions, which is to avail themselves—you would expect in an unfettered way—of the opportunity to expand their minds, to educate themselves and to leave with a valuable education that can equip them for the future, not only in their career but in their whole life well beyond what they do as a vocation.

We see in this bill an interesting mandate of a minimum discharge of the student services fee to student led organisations. I note that some of the universities, to my understanding, have raised concerns about this. Universities themselves provide a lot of services directly financed through the student services fee, and what we're going to see through this legislation is a re-empowering and re-emboldening of the student organisations that are behaving—and, for their standards, this is saying something—in the most vile and disgraceful way on some campuses as we speak right now. Is this the right time to be sending a message to those groups engaging in that deplorable conduct that they're deserving of some mandated minimum allocation of the student services fee? As someone from a party that believes in the freedom of association—the right to join or not any organisation, whether that be a union or any other group in our society—I think what this effectively says is, 'Well, the union for students is getting a guaranteed, legislated stream of funding regardless of whether or not the students of that campus are happy to see them get their money'—it comes from students—'and have it spent that way,' when I would certainly predict and suspect that the way in which the universities themselves spend that funding will be of a much greater benefit to the student body than what these activists student groups do with it. We watch that with a great deal of interest, and I will be very surprised if the Senate committee process doesn't bring out some interesting evidence on that. That'll be something for our party room to consider on that element of the bill. The others are very open minded to the principles and look forward to exploring the detail through the committee process. With those comments, I say we are not standing in the way of the bill, necessarily, but are reserving our position for the outcome of the Senate inquiry process. I confine my comments to those.

Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to support the government's Universities Accord (Student Support and Other Measures) Bill 2024 that is before the House this evening. The Albanese Labor government is committed to making life easier for all Australians, and that's why I am so pleased to support this bill being put forward this evening by the Minister for Education. It implements key measures, recommended in the final report from the Australian Universities Accord, led by Professor Mary O'Kane and supported by a host of other very esteemed Australians.

The accord panel was established by this government, and we invested $2.7 million over two years to develop the 12-month review of Australia's higher education system. Its objective was to devise recommendations and performance targets to improve the quality, accessibility, affordability and sustainability of higher education to achieve long-term security and prosperity of the sector and the nation. These are important ambitions for any national government. The accord's final report has been informed by 787 public submissions and 150 meetings with stakeholders. The final report contained a number of recommendations, including reforming HECS-HELP repayment arrangements, funding nursing, care and teaching professions to undertake mandatory placements, and expanding the number of fee-free preparatory courses at university. This is exactly what this bill is doing tonight. I appreciate members opposite might be giving further consideration, but there are a lot of people who have been part of this process, and this bill has now been informed by a thorough process of consultation and an expert review of our higher education system.

We all note that the big hike in the HECS-HELP debt last year hit a lot of Australians hard, particularly young people. I want to say to those young people: we have heard your feedback and we have taken it on board. The first big measure undertaken in this bill will see amendments to the HELP and VET student loans, the Australian apprenticeship support loans, and other student support loan accounts. We are amending the higher education loan program methodology to be based on the consumer price index or the wage price index, whichever is the lower, preventing growth in debt from outpacing wages into the future. In other words, it more than halve the unfair CPI indexation rate of 7.1 per cent from last year and replace it with the lower WPI rate of 3.2 per cent. This will see somebody with an average debt of $26,500 having around $1,200 wiped off their outstanding loan this year. Someone with a $45,000 debt will benefit by around $2,000, and someone with a $60,000 debt will have a benefit of $2,700. Around $3 billion is being wiped off the accounts of more than three million Australian students, and those who have finished their degrees with the debt in place. This will significantly ease pressure on workers, apprentices, trainees and students. Let's not forget, this is not just about university students. Those young apprentices, those people doing traineeships are all looking for this relief as well. Around 25,398 people in my electorate of Newcastle have a HELP debt and this bill will ensure relief is delivered to them while continuing to protect the integrity and the value of the HELP system, which has massively expanded higher education access for millions of Australians.

The Albanese Labor government is also investing in students who have signed up to do some of the most important jobs in this country. While we recognise the importance of placements as part of qualifications in a whole range of professions, up until now students have been forced to undertake unpaid mandatory placements as part of their studies. But for the first time ever, the government will introduce a Commonwealth prac payment to support teaching, nursing, midwifery and social work students to do their placements.

The Albanese government understands the financial burden placements have on students and appreciates the challenges many face when having to juggle the cost of living while studying and completing their placements. With this bill, many students who have turned down work to do their prac placements will now have help in paying their bills. While the government also recognises other qualifications require mandatory placements, the University Accord recommended that the government focus now on the nursing, care and teaching professions. This is an important place to start due to the significant workforce shortages that need to be addressed in these areas. Almost every Australian will interact with a nurse, midwife, teacher and social worker sometime throughout their life. This measure will help up to 5,200 students who are enrolled in teaching, nursing, midwifery and social work at the University of Newcastle, and I look forward to ensuring that relief is directed to those students undertaking that very important work.

Since entering parliament, I have been a very staunch supporter of equity to access into higher education. That is why I am so pleased that this bill will also massively expand fee-free uni-ready courses, which act as a bridge between school and uni and help more Australians to succeed when they get there. The University of Newcastle knows a thing or two about achieving equity of education. We have long demanded both excellence and equity as part of the core values of the University of Newcastle. More than half a century ago now the university launched its enabling programs, which I argue are indeed the best of this country has ever seen. The University of Newcastle has the oldest and the largest network of enabling programs in Australia.

Open Foundation, a free open access enabling program at the University of Newcastle, has engaged more than 70,000 people. There are 70,000 people in my community, in my region, across this nation who have a quality university education now who would not have even got their foot in the door had it not been for the enabling programs provided at the University of Newcastle. That is what I mean about achieving equity in access to higher education. That is one in five students at the University of Newcastle. I acknowledge the member for Dobell, the assistant minister who spoke before me. She is from the Central Coast, where the University of Newcastle also has a campus. One in four students there came through an enabling program to be at university. So these are very, very powerful programs that open incredible doors for people who would have otherwise been excluded from a higher education.

The critical part of these programs is that they are free access. I have stood in this parliament over the 11 years that I have been the member of Newcastle and have had to save these enabling programs on three separate occasions, so I speak with some authority when I say that if you were to provide a fee-for-entry point into these services, you would not reach the equity outcomes that you would desire or seek to see.

We have surveyed students in recent years to see whether or not they would have entered into an enabling program had there been a fee in place, and almost universally they would have said no. More than 60 per cent of people doing these enabling programs are women, and they all said that they didn't have that level of confidence to invest that kind of money in themselves. They had other priorities of having to raise a family or look after a whole lot of household bills. I am firmly of the belief that universities are not just for the elite in our communities. I know the value of higher education as a first-in-family kid coming through. I want everyone to have access to that—everyone who wants to have access to it—whether it's a university or a TAFE education. We absolutely have to smash down the barriers that prevent kids who are otherwise marginalised from having access.

There are people like Liam from Newcastle who was in his early 20s, struggling with addiction, when he tried to take his own life. He was saved by paramedics and nurses at the John Hunter Hospital. It was there that Liam decided he not only wanted to live but wanted to repay the debt and become a paramedic himself to help other people and to become a father for his young daughter. Liam enrolled in Open Foundation at the University of Newcastle, and I'm really pleased to tell the House that he is now well on his way to achieving that goal and is doing brilliantly. There are people like Zee, also in from Newcastle, who, in her late 40s, was on the carers pension looking after her husband, who had had a stroke. Zee completed Open Foundation and went on to study biosciences and now lectures in health sciences, coordinates courses in the Open Foundation program herself and is now looking to do a PhD next year.

These are just two of the extraordinary stories I could relay to this House. But we know that of students doing these programs like Liam and Zee, 26 per cent came from low SES backgrounds, 66 per cent were women, 23 per cent of students had a disability, six per cent were First Nations students and 47 per cent were, just like me, the first in their family to enrol in a tertiary institution. These are the changes that are expected to increase the number of people doing these fee-free uni-ready courses. We expect these changes to provide a boost of about 40 per cent to the number of people getting into universities by the end of the decade. I cannot sing the praises of enabling programs highly enough.

There are many other measures this government seeks to undertake in addition to the important work of this bill. We're providing an additional 20,000 Commonwealth supported places so we can train more Australians at university. We know that this is a life-changing moment. We're committed to establishing up to 14 new suburban university study hubs. That's on top of the establishment of the 20 regional university study hubs. We're also getting on with establishing a national student ombudsman. We'll have a lot more to say about that very shortly, but that is an important body of work—an independent body that's part of an action plan to address gender based violence in higher education, somewhere where independent investigations can take place and disputes can be resolved in an adequate manner. These are aspects that higher education students have been calling for for a long time. I'll be very pleased to see that bill before this House very soon.

There is an urgent need to address sexual assault in university campuses. It's one of the five priority actions that came from the Australian Universities Accord Interim Report. The action plan and the ombudsman have been informed by consultation with staff, with students—most importantly—with victims-survivors advocates, with the higher education sector and with subject matter experts. So there is a lot of work to do in this sector.

We are an ambitious government. We seek to see more and more Australians have a higher education. As I said—and I reiterate—that can be through TAFE and through university, but we need Australians to be ensured of access to a quality education. We are very much on the side of Australian students and education providers, and that's why I'm supporting this important legislation before the House. There is a lot at stake with these important reforms. These are not policy decisions that we take willy-nilly. We are informed by experts in the field and by all of the thorough consultation processes that have taken place. We have a good education system, but it can be better.

This is an important first step in achieving that, and that's why I'm supporting this bill. I urge those opposite to do so without delay.

Darren Chester (Gippsland, National Party, Shadow Minister for Regional Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is with great pleasure that I join the debate and follow my friend and colleague the member for Newcastle. I acknowledge her contribution, particularly in relation to the challenges that we face as regional members of parliament in terms of equity of access and also in relation to her comment that there's more to be done. As much as there has been a significant amount of work done in terms of reforming the university sector and access for regional students, there is still a lot more to be done.

The Universities Accord (Student Support and Other Measures) Bill amends the Higher Education Support Act to give effect to several measures from the Australian Universities Accord. I'll reflect on the accord in more detail in a few moments time. These measures, though, include changing the way the HELP indexation is calculated; introducing the Commonwealth prac payment for teaching, nursing, midwifery and social work students; providing fee-free uni-ready courses for students to undertake preparatory courses for university studies; and requiring universities to provide 40 per cent of the student services and amenities fees to student led organisations.

Despite the exhortation of the member for Newcastle for the coalition to declare its position today, the coalition notes that the government itself has referred the bill to the Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee for an inquiry. As is appropriate in those circumstances, the coalition will not pre-empt our final position on the bill until after we have heard from all the key stakeholders, and I understand the committee is due to report back to the Senate by 3 October this year.

For those of us who have been around the issues regarding universities and further education for an extended period of time, I think there is a shared passion across the chamber to help young people right across Australia to achieve their full potential. Achieving their full potential doesn't necessarily mean every Australian student has to go to university. It's quite the opposite, in fact. Accessing improved trade training through the TAFE system, taking on entrepreneurialism or their own small business, or, indeed, pursuing a university course are all reasonable pathways for a young person in Australia today to pursue. But helping all young Australians achieve their full potential is, I think, a shared goal across the chamber.

For those of us who represent regional seats, the issue of how we achieve equity and fairness has been a problem that governments have grappled with throughout my entire 16 years in this place. I actually want to commend the work of the Minister for Education with the Universities Accord process and also for the briefings he's provided to me and my office. I also want to note the very significant contribution to that work by the Regional Education Commissioner, former senator Fiona Nash, who, like me, is a fellow traveller on the path of trying to get fairness for regional students in the education system. Her contribution to this process was noted in the final report.

The final report does provide ambitious targets for higher education participation. It's very clear—and the minister himself, in his own second reading speech, made this clear as well—there is much to do to achieve the goals set out in the accord, and no-one, including the minister, is suggesting for a second that this is anything other than the first stage of the implementation of the accord.

There has been a major program of reform across the university sector over the whole time I have been in this place, and the minister himself has acknowledged that what we're looking at with this accord is a very significant program that will run across many budget cycles and will require goodwill across the chamber and a commitment to achieving those long-term goals of helping every young Australian achieve their full potential.

I am one who would suggest that we do have a good education system here in Australia. It's not great. It's not without it's failings. But it is good. Unfortunately, it serves some people better than others. Sadly, the others are often those who live in regional, rural and remote communities. Often the others are those students who live two, three, four, five and many more hours away from a capital city or a university campus. One of our great challenges for the members in this place who represent the National Party is how we improve the participation rate for those students in our communities who want to go on to study at the tertiary level. Notwithstanding the fact that you can be very successful as a young person in Australia today as an entrepreneur starting your own business, working on your family farm, taking over the family farm or learning a trade and applying your skills in your community—they are all very reasonable pathways—for those who aspire to tertiary education and need a qualification to fulfil their dream, the participation rate in our regional communities is too low. It's recognised in the accord. It's been recognised now for a long period of time.

The previous government, the coalition government, had Senator Fiona Nash, who was one of those who worked diligently on this issue. They sought to reduce some of the barriers to university participation for our regional students. I've spoken about those barriers before in this place and I will raise them again tonight. Some of those barriers are economic, but some of them are also aspirational barriers. The aspirational barriers are something we can deal with ourselves in our communities. It's up to us as leaders in our own communities to get into our schools and make it clear to young people in our community that they can be the first in their family to go to university—to talk to them about the pathways which exist. We can do that as people who care about our communities, so the aspirational barrier is something that we've got to deal with.

The economic barrier is something that lies fairly and squarely at the feet of the federal government of Australia. During her presentation, the member for Newcastle quite rightly commented about equity of access. There is nothing equitable about a system of tertiary education which actively discriminates against regional students on the basis of cost of participation. And it's got worse. It's actually become harder in recent times, during this cost-of-living crisis, for students in my community of Gippsland to move to Melbourne and undertake a course of their choice.

When I say it's become harder, I mean there are a number of factors here. The shortage of housing and the competition has made it harder for students to secure housing. The cost of living more generally, through the inflation rate, and in Melbourne through food and transport prices, have all added to the barrier. What we're seeing is that mums and dads in regional communities who have a son or daughter who has to move away from home to pursue their chosen course are up for at least at least $25,000 to $30,000 per year in out-of-pocket costs, and that's after tax. They've already paid tax on their income. They're doing money in cold blood to make sure that the young person in their family can move away from home, find accommodation and meet the cost of living such a long way from their family home.

The previous government did some good work in this space by improving access to youth allowance and providing the tertiary access payment, but there is more to be done. The Universities Accord makes it clear that there is more to be done, and we have to do more. Unfortunately, the legislation before the House today, in terms of the question of economic barriers for regional students, really only tinkers around the edges. It is harder than ever, with this increased cost of living, for our young people in regional Australia to move away from home and achieve their full potential at a university course based in a metropolitan area. So we do need more holistic reforms than what we're seeing here tonight. I say to the Minister for Education in all sincerity: I'm up for the challenge if he's up for the challenge of working in a constructive way to ensure that the needs of regional people are properly represented as he rolls out the further program of reform required under the Universities Accord.

One of the opportunities we have in this place, and one of the opportunities we have in our regional communities, is to reduce the need to move away from home in first place. So the more that we can do to support our regional university sector to provide a broader range of courses in those regional towns the less the need is for our students to move away to study in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide or Perth. Now, that's easier said than done, because, obviously, you need a critical mass of students to run a course in a regional location.

The member for New England is right beside me, and his University of New England at Armidale is an impressive institution. We should be investing in our regional institutions, those regional campuses, so that those students who don't want the big city experience, who'd rather stay in their own regional towns and pocket the savings, quite honestly, have the opportunity to study in those communities. We know, particularly in the health fields, that, if a regional student undertakes a degree in nursing or midwifery or any other allied health course, or becomes a GP, that regional student is more likely to return to those regional communities and address the skilled workforce shortage we're facing. It's even better if they don't have to leave in the first place. If there are more opportunities for them to study in their own communities, they stay connected to their communities. They stay connected to their family life and their sporting clubs, and they don't incur those cost barriers which are making it harder and harder for our current regional students to excel in their chosen course.

Put yourself in the shoes of a 17-, 18- or 19-year-old country person who, in one year, is expected to move many hours away from home; set up house or move into accommodation provided by the university; get their licence; be allowed to go to pubs and drink responsibly; study; and, because Mum and Dad aren't made of money, they've got to get a part-time job as well. They've got to do all that as a 17-, 18- or 19-year-old. Is it any wonder that many of those young people feel like they fail or can't absorb it all in one year? Some of them come back home broken; it's all been too much for them. We should not be allowing situations to develop where we set up young people to fail. We need to be making sure that we reduce the cost barriers, or we make to make it easier for them to stay in their home communities, in their regional communities, and stay the course that they're choosing.

In the little bit of time I have left, in relation to the accord, I want to note a couple of things about the Group of Eight—or the sandstone universities—in this country. I suggest to them that they need to lift the game too, in terms of the way they deliver courses and in the way they accommodate regional students and their specific needs. I think the sector is in for a massive disruption. We saw the disruption that's occurred in a whole range of other industries in recent times through COVID, and you look at the media sector and a whole range of other industries that have changed dramatically. The Group of Eight are basically still delivering courses on their own terms to suit them, not to suit the needs of regional students. There is no reason whatsoever why some regional students could not have all their courses delivered to them—their time in front of tutors and in front of their classes—in a day or two, rather than spread out across a whole week. That would allow some of our regional students to keep connected to their own communities. They wouldn't have to be there all week; they wouldn't have to incur the cost of $25,000 or $30,000 a year that I mentioned earlier. I believe the Group of Eight could do a lot better in terms of outreach to regional students in their own communities, using telecommunications and using the new regional study hubs better to allow more of those students to study in their home towns.

As I said at the outset, this is a piece of work that will help young people achieve their full potential right across our nation. I congratulate the minister for his work on the accord. I encourage him to keep going further and to work with members on this side of the House who have been passionate about this issue for more than a decade and who are willing to work in a constructive way to ensure that the needs of rural and regional students are properly respected in the debate and that the needs of rural and regional students are addressed in a manner which helps us overcome those barriers I spoke about earlier. We have a good education system in this nation, as I said. Unfortunately, it continues to serve some people better than others, and, too many times, the 'others' are our regional students, and we are letting them down. We're letting them down in this place. We can do better. We must do better. And I look forward to working with the minister in a constructive manner for the remainder of this term of parliament.

Tracey Roberts (Pearce, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to discuss a pivotal piece of legislation set to reshape the landscape of higher education in Australia, the Universities Accord (Student Support and Other Measures) Bill 2024. This bill is not merely a collection of amendments; it represents the albanese Labor government's unwavering commitment to creating a more equitable, accessible and responsive higher education system for all Australians. As we navigate the complexities of the modern world, it is essential to recognise that education is not just a pathway to employment; it is a fundamental human right. It empowers individuals, strengthens communities and drives our economy forward.

The Universities Accord is a significant step towards ensuring that every Australian, regardless of their background, has the opportunity to pursue higher education and reach their full potential. Before examining the specifics of the bill, we need to consider the current state of higher education in Australia. Over the past few decades we have witnessed a dramatic increase in the number of students pursuing tertiary education. However, this growth has not come without challenges. Many students are burdened by significant debt, with the average HELP loan exceeding $30,000. The financial strain can deter potential students from pursuing higher education, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Additionally, the rising cost of living and tuition fees have made it increasingly difficult for students to focus on their studies without the worry of financial instability.

The Albanese Labor government recognises these challenges and is committed to addressing them head-on through the Universities Accord (Student Support and Other Measures) Bill 2024. One of the most critical reforms in this bill is the amendment to the Higher Education Loan Program, HELP. By changing the indexation calculation, we aim to alleviate the financial pressure on over three million Australians with outstanding HELP debts. Imagine a student who graduates with a degree but is immediately faced with a mountain of debt that continues to grow at an unsustainable rate. This reform will significantly reduce the rate at which student debts accumulate, providing much-needed relief to borrowers and allowing them to focus on their careers and contribution to society rather than being weighed down by financial burdens.

This bill also introduces a Commonwealth prac payment for students in critical fields such as teaching, nursing, midwifery and social work. These students often face significant costs associated with their practical placements, which can include travel, accommodation and other expenses. By providing financial support for these practical placements, we are not only easing the financial burden on students but also encouraging more individuals to enter these essential professions. This initiative will help ensure that we have a well-trained workforce ready to meet the needs of our communities, particularly in areas where there are significant shortages of qualified professionals.

Another vital aspect of the Universities Accord is the expansion of fee-free uni-ready courses. These programs are designed for students who may not have completed traditional pathways into universities, such as those in disadvantaged backgrounds or those who have faced personal challenges. By 2030, we aim for a 40 per cent increase in enrolments in these fee-free courses. This initiative will open doors for many Australians who previously thought higher education was out of reach. We want to create a system where every individual, regardless of their background, has the opportunity to succeed in higher education and ultimately in life.

The Albanese Labor government believes students have a voice in the service and support that they receive during their university experience. Therefore, the bill mandates that at least 40 per cent of the student services and amenities fee be allocated to student led organisations. This funding will empower students to take charge of their university experience, ensuring that their needs and concerns are addressed. By fostering a more inclusive and responsive university environment, we can create a culture of collaboration and engagement that benefits everyone.

At the heart of the Universities Accord is a commitment to equity and access. The Albanese Labor government understands that higher education should be accessible to all Australians, particularly those from underrepresented groups. By focusing on increasing participation from outer suburbs and regional areas, we are working towards a future where tertiary education is not a privilege for the few but a right for all. We have set an ambitious target of having 80 per cent of our workforce with a tertiary qualification by 2050. This goal is not just about numbers; it is about creating a more skilled, diverse and innovative workforce that reflects the diversity of our society. We must also consider the real-world impacts of these reforms. Imagine a young woman from a rural community who dreams of becoming a nurse. With the introduction of the Commonwealth prac payment, she can pursue her studies without the constant worry of financial strain during her practical placement. With access to fee-free uni-ready courses, she can build her academic foundation and gain the confidence that she needs to succeed. This is not just a hypothetical scenario; it is a reality we are striving to create with the Universities Accord. By investing in our students, we are investing in the future of our nation.

I believe the Universities Accord (Student Support and Other Measures) Bill 2024 is a testament to the Albanese Labor government's commitment to transforming the higher education sector by addressing the pressing issues of student debt, financial support for practical placements, access to preliminary courses and student agency. This bill lays the foundation for a more equitable and inclusive education system. This legislation is not merely a response to current challenges. It is a proactive step forward, building a fairer and more inclusive education system that empowers every individual to achieve their full potential.

I support this bill as it represents a commitment to the future of our students and to the broader Australian community. Together, we can create an education system that empowers every individual to achieve their potential, ensuring that higher education is a pathway to success for all Australians. The Universities Accord is not just a legislative document; it is a vision for the future of higher education in Australia. It embodies the principles of equity, accessibility and support that are essential for fostering a thriving educational environment.

As we move forward it is crucial that we continue to advocate for policies that prioritise the needs of students and ensure that higher education remains a viable and attainable option for all Australians. In the coming years we must remain vigilant and committed to monitoring the implementation of this bill, ensuring that it meets its objectives and delivers on its promises. We must engage with stakeholders, including students, educators and communities, to gather feedback and make necessary adjustments to enhance the effectiveness of these reforms. Also, it is essential to recognise that the success of the Universities Accord will depend on ongoing collaboration between the government, universities and the broader community. By working together we can create a higher education system that not only meets the demands of the modern workforce but also nurtures the potential of every individual, regardless of their circumstances.

As we propose a new chapter in Australian higher education, we must embrace the opportunities that lie ahead. We must commit ourselves to a future where education is not a privilege but a right and where every Australian has the chance to pursue their dreams and contribute to the prosperity of our nation. The Universities Accord (Student Support and Other Measures) Bill 2024 is a landmark piece of legislation that has the potential to transform the lives of countless Australians. It is a bold and necessary step towards creating a more equitable and inclusive higher education system. It is not only an investment in our students but an investment in the future of Australia, and I commend this bill to the House.

Anne Webster (Mallee, National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Regional Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today, I will focus mainly on two aspects of the Universities Accord (Student Support and Other Measures) Bill 2024: the Albanese Labor government policy proposals for paid practical placement and for channelling more money into student unions.

Labor proposes paying students on practical placements in select industries just one-third of the minimum wage, an inadequate measure during this cost-of-living crisis that fails to address the real challenges faced by these students. Under Labor's plan, students undertaking practical placements in teaching, nursing, midwifery and social work will receive the equivalent of around $8.40 per hour, compared to the national minimum wage of $24.10 per hour—about one-third. And the money is not paid directly to the student; it's paid to the university. What could go wrong? $8.40 per hour is not a living wage; it is barely pocket money. Our settings for our future nurses, social workers, midwives and teachers have not shown how much we value them, and many of them literally hold our future in their hands. $8.40 an hour will not make a significant difference in their lives. It actually insults their efforts and sacrifices.

This proposal will not adequately support students juggling the demands of their studies, unpaid placements, family duties and paid employment, often at the expense of their health and wellbeing. Placement poverty is the elephant in the room for students in Australia. Students, particularly those studying in regional areas like my electorate of Mallee, face significant barriers when it comes to completing mandatory practical placements. In many cases, these placements are unpaid and can last for weeks or even months, forcing students to take time off from their paid jobs to fulfil their academic requirements.

In my electorate of Mallee, universities such as La Trobe University and Monash University play a critical role in providing higher education opportunities to students in regional areas. These institutions offer essential programs in fields such as education, nursing, midwifery and social work—professions that are vital to the wellbeing and development of our rural communities. For students who are parents or primary caregivers, this situation is even more dire. Labor's cost-of-living crisis has exacerbated this problem. The cost of housing; groceries; utilities; child care, if it's available; and transportation have skyrocketed under this government.

I remind the House that my electorate of Mallee not only is regional but has a larger lower-socioeconomic demographic. Many students, particularly those from low-income families or those supporting dependents, simply cannot afford to stop working and take on unpaid placements. Will $8.40 make a difference for them? Perhaps, perhaps not.

According to the 2022 Universities Australia student finances survey, around 58 per cent of full-time domestic undergraduate students were concerned about their finances, and over 15 per cent reported frequently going without food or other necessities because they could not afford them. With Labor's cost-of-living crisis making everyday life more expensive, how can we possibly expect students to continue their studies and fulfil their placement requirements without adequate financial support? This is not just about fairness; it's about ensuring we have a pipeline of skilled workers ready to meet the demands of our growing population.

While paid practical placements for students is a step in the right direction, we have questions about how this bill will be implemented. Will these payments be means tested? Will all students undertaking practical placements receive financial support, or will there be eligibility criteria that could potentially exclude those who still face significant financial hardship but fall just outside the defined thresholds? This is particularly important for students in regional areas like my electorate of Mallee who often face higher costs associated with travel, accommodation and other expenses during their placements.

More questions are raised when it comes to how the funding will be distributed and managed. If the funding for these paid placements is being allocated to universities, how will universities ensure that this funding is directly passed on to the students who need it most? We need clear guidelines and accountability mechanisms to guarantee that the intended financial support reaches the students rather than being absorbed into university administrative costs or somewhere else. Without a robust framework for distribution, there is also a risk that benefits of paid placements could be unevenly applied, creating disparities between institutions, students and, indeed, regions. Universities in major cities with better resources and funding management systems may be able to offer more substantial support compared to those in regional areas, further widening the gap between urban and rural. Most urban universities have accommodation onsite or within very close distance to their universities—that is absolutely not the case in regional areas, and that needs to be considered.

I'm also concerned that this bill mandates that at least 40 per cent of student services and amenities fee revenue be directed to student-led organisations—effectively, one can only read, student unions. Starting from 1 January 2025, this initiative appears to be a thinly veiled attempt by Labor to redirect funding towards student unions, a move that raises serious concerns given the history and nature of student unionism in this country. The Howard government abolished compulsory student union membership in 2006 and replaced it with voluntary student unionism, liberating students from being forced to pay for union memberships that they may not support or benefit from. We see, wherever they can, Labor trying to repay their union masters by channelling people into union membership, channelling public funds to unions, and handing sectors of the economy over to unions. When Labor introduced the student services and amenities fee in 2012, students paid fees directly to universities, which were given discretion over how to allocate these funds. This was a balanced approach that ensured funding could be used for a range of services such as mental health support, career development and child care, benefiting a broad spectrum of students, particularly in an era when many students studied remotely and accessed campus services less frequently.

Now, with this bill, Labor is attempting to reintroduce a form of compulsory funding for student unions under the guise of supporting student services. The mandated 40 per cent allocation of SSAF revenue to student-led organisations risks becoming a subsidy for hard-left activism. Considering that student unions tend to be dominated by Green-left ideologies rather than reflecting the diverse political views of the broader student body, it appears to be a payoff to a historical recruiting ground for Labor and the Greens. Can the minister guarantee that the 40 per cent SSAF won't go towards supporting protests against Israel? Protesting alongside supporters of terror is neither a student service nor an amenity. How much of the 40 per cent SSAF will be channelled into promoting identity politics and prioritising spending on a minority of students instead of welfare for all students? With the student unions in charge of 40 per cent of the funding, the hard-left agenda will get a funding boost from a majority of students that don't support it. Students should not be compelled to fund organisations they do not wish to support, especially when many of these funds could be better allocated to vital services that directly improve student wellbeing and academic success. In the current landscape, where remote learning is prevalent, mandating this allocation is akin to imposing a tax on students who may never access those particular services. The SSAF measure not only undermines the principle of voluntary association but also prioritises funding for partisan student activism over essential support services that benefit all students.

This bill is a missed opportunity to grow our regional health workforce. In communities like Mallee, GP waiting times are unacceptably long, and the lack of nurses and midwives only adds to the strain on our healthcare system. These sorters are exacerbated by the current distribution priority area classifications, which Labor undermined when they came to government. They now deprive the regions of GPs where they are needed most.

To address these workforce shortages, we must also focus on the practical training requirements that are essential for building a skilled healthcare workforce. Currently, nursing students in Australia are required to complete 800 hours of practical placements to gain their qualifications. However, some in the healthcare sector want to reduce those hours to 450, the level they have in the United Kingdom currently. Why sacrifice valuable hands-on experience that is crucial to preparing nurses to enter the workforce, particularly in high-need regional areas? We should be moving in the opposite direction, towards maintaining or even increasing the number of practical placement hours.

To support this, paid practical placements become essential. Providing adequate financial support would allow nursing and midwifery students to afford the hours required to develop the practical skills that are indispensable in healthcare settings. In short, aligning paid placements with regional workforce needs could be a game changer in addressing not only student financial hardship but also the chronic shortages of healthcare workers in regional Australia.

If we want to see real change we must rethink how we support and incentivise our future healthcare workforce from the very beginning of their training. The link between fair pay for placements and the solution to regional workforce shortages is clear, yet Labor has missed the mark. It is worth noting that paid placements are not a new concept. In fact, they were once a standard part of medical training in Australia. My own husband, who trained as a doctor about 46 years ago, was paid during his placements. Now, here we are decades later trying to reinstate something that was abandoned long ago. One must ask, what happened? Why have we gone backwards?

Labor's turn toward paid placements recognises the dire current shortages we are grappling with and highlights the need for continuous and targeted investment in our education and training systems to build a stronger, more resilient workforce for the future. Instead of addressing the root causes of these shortages, Labor is offering the bandaid solution in this bill that is too little too late for regional Australians.

We need real solutions. If we are serious about addressing workforce shortages in critical sectors we need to start by ensuring that students have access to adequate financial support during their studies. This means offering meaningful support for practical placements—support that reflects the value of the work being done, the impact on those undertaking them and on their families and the cost associated with completing these placements.

We must also rethink the way we structure education and training in fields like nursing, midwifery and social work. We need students to be learning on the job, gaining the skills and confidence they need to hit the ground running when they graduate—being job ready. And we need to ensure that they are not forced to choose between their education and their livelihoods. Labor's paid prac proposal is a step in the right direction but does not address how desperately students are struggling, especially in regional Australia.

Patrick Gorman (Perth, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to start with some acknowledgements of the work that was done in the final report of the Australian Universities Accord review. They talked about the value of our universities and what they bring not just to our people but to our nation. They started that report with this simple statement:

Higher education is vital to Australia's future: the knowledge, skills and research it produces enable us to be an economically prosperous, socially equitable and environmentally sustainable nation.

They highlighted that universities are key to uplifting the quality of life here in Australia. They noted the important role that universities have in promoting democracy and civic values. And the accord's work highlighted the importance of employment—that we have better jobs and higher paid jobs because of our university sector.

But, right up front, the accord review also noted that there was not enough integration in our education system. They said very plainly to everyone in this place, to our nation and to the vice-chancellors across the nation that every part of Australia's education system needs to work together. That's the only way we're going to meet the skills challenges that Australia faces.

Thankfully, in meeting those challenges we start from a good place. We start with a high-quality tertiary education system. We start with a system that performs above the OECD average. But it's a system that is under pressure, and some of that pressure we will relieve with the Universities Accord (Student Support and Other Measures) Bill 2024 today. Supporting our universities is not just about making sure that the next generation can get a great education and a great job; our universities also contribute to solving some of the other challenges that we deal with in this place day in, day out. In terms of the threats to our social cohesion, a large part of the solution to that challenge is tertiary education, and that's clearly in the report.

I want to share a story I've shared in this place before about the change that's already happened in our universities. I'm going to take you, those who are choosing to listen, back to 1957, to the start of a new semester at the University of Western Australia. You had a new cohort of enthusiastic students, sweating in the February sun on the edges of the Swan River. Probably the student amongst that cohort in 1957 who was most nervous and most unsure about what this experience of university was going to be like was Irwin Lewis. Irwin Lewis was the first Aboriginal student to attend university in Western Australia, in 1957. He was attending university just three years after what had been known as the 'native pass' system was finally abolished in Perth. He came from Morawa and went on to be dux at Christ Church Grammar School, a renowned school in Western Australia. Not content with just getting a degree from the great University of Western Australia, he then went on to play for the Claremont Football Club in their 1964 grand final win and on to an excellent career as a public servant. The story of Irwin Lewis's life is a story about the power of what happens when we open the doors of opportunity and welcome more into our higher education system.

I had correspondence with a woman called Pat Pearce, who was working at the university bookshop back in the 1950s. Pat's a wonderful person and a supporter of this side of the House, but she often gives advice to me and my staff about things that I could maybe do more effectively. These were her words about that day back in 1957: 'I was on the UWA campus the day Irwin Lewis started at uni. The buzz was everywhere.' That again just shows that people in our higher education system are excited to welcome more people into these excellent institutions.

I've been very fortunate in my life to have attended Curtin University and the University of Western Australia. I had not just an excellent education but the opportunity to experience those great things that happen above and beyond just paying for the courses that allow you to get the qualifications you want. You make lifelong friends, and that's not just with fellow students. I was really fortunate to serve on the Curtin University Council alongside Dr Eric Tan, a really excellent leader in Western Australia. I saw amazing university administrators who really had passion in their hearts for both their students and their academics. They were people like Lance Twomey, Jane den Hollander and Val Raubenheimer. They were people who gave so much to education and to academia in Western Australia. Unashamedly I made lifelong friends at university. When we open the doors of university to more and ensure that people can have a quality experience when they're at university, then we do so much of what it is that I think we all aspire to do in this place, which is to allow every Australian to reach their full potential.

This bill is about taking a good education system and making it fairer. It's about wiping HECS debt. For my electorate alone, some 25,000 people will have their HECS debt wiped as a result. It's about bringing in, for the first time, a Commonwealth prac payment, making sure we support people who are in the final stages of their study. It's about expanding Fee-Free Uni Ready courses so that more people can go into our universities and be welcomed in without having that big upfront fear of fees. They might be the first in their family to go to university. It's also about a down payment on our goal of having 80 per cent of the Australian population have a university, TAFE or trade qualification, recognising that, when we invest in our people, we invest in our society and everyone benefits. It's not just the people who go to university who benefit from a quality education. The people around them and the society in which they live will benefit as well.

With that, Deputy Speaker Vasta, I commend this bill to you and to this parliament. I know that it will be a significant downpayment on our investment, from this place, in the future generations who will lead Australia in the decades and centuries to come.

Debate interrupted.