Alison Byrnes (Cunningham, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Education: What is the Albanese Labor government doing to support Australian students and build a better and fairer education system? And what has been the response?

Jason Clare (Blaxland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Education) Share this | Link to 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.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for New England will cease interjecting.

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

And in the community that I am so privileged to represent in this place, the electorate of Blaxland, almost 25,000 people will have their debt cut.

These are people who know what education can do, how it can lift people up and help them to get ahead, help them to build the life that they deserve and that their families deserve. They know that this Labor government has got their back and will cut their debt, unlike this anti-aspiration, kick-the-ladder-out-behind-them mob opposite who were against them getting a tax cut and now are against them getting a debt cut.

Mr Littleproud interjecting—

These three million Australians now know that if Labor wins, they win—

but if the Liberals win, they won't.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is far too much noise by the Leader of the Nationals and the member for Hume. They are now both warned.