Matt Keogh (Burt, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Access to a good education can set you up for life. That's why we're making it easier to access and more affordable for more people in our community, no matter what career they're looking to get into.

In our community, more than 16,600 people have had their student or apprenticeship debt slashed this year by the Albanese government. I'm pleased to let you know that that wasn't one-off. It's being locked in, with the announcement yesterday that a re-elected Albanese government next year would wipe 20 per cent off your student debt. I'm pleased to let you know that that wasn't a one-off—it's being locked in with the announcement yesterday that a re-elected Albanese government next year would wipe 20 per cent off your student debt. That includes student debt for TAFE or university as well as for apprentices. It will mean uni students in our community will have about $5,500 taken off the average university HECS-HELP debt. Only an Albanese government will also raise the repayment thresholds so you won't have to worry about repaying your student loans until you're actually earning a decent wage.

But that's not all. In Western Australia almost 20,000 people have had the opportunity to experience the Albanese government's fee-free TAFE. That has been life-changing for so many in our community having the chance to skill-up or retrain into a career that they want. We want to see more tradies available to build homes, more apprentices getting a start, more healthcare, disability, aged-care and childcare workers looking after our loved ones, and more training for people who dream for a job on the mines, with more opportunity to get ahead. That's why only a re-elected Albanese government will be making that permanent, locking fee-free TAFE into law.

The Albanese government is delivering for our community. We've slashed inflation to an almost four-year low, we've worked with WA Labor to deliver a $700 energy bill relief for every household, and we've increased the subsidy for child care and are capping childcare fee increases. We've also made medicines cheaper for you. We are continuing to work hard each and every day for you, moving forward with a new bulk-billed Medicare urgent care clinic, two Medicare mental health centres, and infrastructure projects like the extension of the Armadale line to Byford, the upgrades to Tonkin Highway and the grade separation at Nicholson Road and Garden Street. I'm proud to be delivering for you, building a better Burt and building Australia's future.

I take the opportunity also to give a massive shoutout to the local legends who once again pulled off an awesome Kelmscott Agricultural Show. This year we celebrated 125 years, the longest-running agricultural show in Western Australia. Congratulations as well to my mum, a long-running Kelmscott show competition entrant who got a first for her beans and a second for her cardigan, as well as to my son Nicholas, who took out the honey joy competition. Congratulations to all winners, all the dedicated volunteers who pulled it off, and everyone who supported the show and came on down to have a great time.