Cassandra Fernando (Holt, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Education is the driving force of social mobility in our country. Labor is committed to strengthening our education system and rebuilding the tertiary sector. We inherited a system on the brink of collapse after a decade of neglect by the former Liberal-National government.

There is no better example of our commitment to the sector than Labor's fee-free TAFE program. This program has enabled thousands of Australians to upskill in crucial areas such as child care, aged care and construction. We are also reducing university costs for millions of Australians, slashing $3 billion from student debt and making the repayment systems fairer. If re-elected, Labor will go further, cutting student debt by an additional $16 billion to ease the cost-of-living pressures and boost productivity.

This is about supporting young Australians because no-one should be burdened with a lifetime of debt to gain the skills our economy needs. This is tangible cost-of-living relief—relief the Liberals have called wasteful and voted against. Labor is delivering real support and building a stronger education system for Australia's future.