Daniel Mulino (Fraser, 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 cut student debt and support students and graduates? Are there any alternative approaches?

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

I thank my friend the phenomenal member for Fraser for his question. He knows that education is the most powerful cause for good in this country, that a good education can change lives and that a good education system can change countries. It's changed ours. But there's more to do to make our education system better and fairer than it is today. That's what the reforms that we're making are all about. Reforms to early education, to help more kids get ready for school; to school education, to help more kids finish school; and to TAFE and to university, to help more people get into the course that they want for the skills that they need to build the career of their dreams and to build the life of their dreams.

As part of that, last year we cut $3 billion of student debt for more than three million Australians. This year, if we win the election, we'll go further. If we win the election, Labor will cut another 20 per cent from all student debts. That means, for someone with an average debt today of 27 grand, they'll see $5,500 wiped off it. It will help them to pay it off faster, and that will help a lot of young people to be able to buy a home sooner. The Liberal Party want you to burn through your super to buy a house. They want you to cut into your retirement savings. We want to cut your debt.

It's not the only thing we're doing. We're also reducing the amount of money that you have to repay in your student debt every year. That means more money in your pocket, not the government's, and helping people with the cost of living. As the Treasurer announced today, we're also working with regulators and the banks to help make sure that having a student debt doesn't stop you from buying a home, to make sure that you're treated fairly by the banks when you apply for a home loan.

This is all part of building a better and fairer education system, to build Australia's future. That's what our education system does. It's what a good education does. It makes sure that no-one's held back and no-one's left behind. That's what Labor governments are all about. It's what we've always been about—helping to make sure that more kids finish school and can go on to TAFE or uni to do the course of their dreams.

And there's the difference. The only courses the Liberal Party care about are entree, main and dessert: a bit of gratis gravlax, a bit of subsidised spatchcock and maybe a bit of free flambe. That's their policy: taxpayers' money literally on fire—all courtesy of the Liberal Party of Australia.

Hon. Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

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

When the House comes to order we'll hear from the honourable member for Dawson.