Stephen Bates (Brisbane, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Acting Prime Minister. Students and young people are saddled with billions of dollars of student debt. These debts can be in the tens of thousands, if not the hundreds of thousands, of dollars, making it harder for people to get their first home and to make ends meet. If the government can introduce its bill for free TAFE this week, why can't a bill to wipe 20 per cent of student debt be introduced this week as well? Why should young people and students be forced to wait to see the outcome of an election, when the government could work with the Greens to get this done now?

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

Order! The member for Griffith will cease interjecting. So will the Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs. The Acting Prime Minister has the call.

Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question. If the member is going to the legislative productivity of this parliament, that could be improved if the Greens actually supported government legislation, instead of teaming up with their partners here, the Liberals, to make sure that they ultimately oppose everything. But the member did raise the policy—which is an important policy, which was announced by the Prime Minister—which is doing something about the increasing student debt that we are seeing in our country. That policy is removing 20 per cent of the debt that is held by those who have gone through university and have incurred a student debt.

That is a step that has been taken—which is opposed by those opposite—to not only improve the cost of living but improve the lives of those who study and to make university and study in this country much more accessible. So Australians know that, when they vote for this government, they are getting a government which is going to be focused on the cost of living, but focused on the cost of living impacts in terms of education. Making sure that fee-free TAFE is accessible to all Australians and reducing student debt—that is the focus of our government. That has been the focus of our education policy. That has been the focus of our Prime Minister. I would encourage the Greens, if they are so fervent in their support of this, to reflect that support in the way in which they behave in this parliament.