Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

Firstly, I am pleased that Senator Xenophon was a student of my practices in opposition. I can assure him that I will do my absolute best now in government to comply with all of the requirements of the Senate in complying with relevant orders or providing an explanation as to why relevant public interest immunities might apply, consistent with proper Senate procedure. Thank you for that, Senator Xenophon.

In terms of your other question, what we are putting forward provides access to more significant support, but it provides that access in a way where, once an apprentice earns more than $50,000 per year, they would be required to repay the support that they have received, which is entirely consistent with the way this sort of support is provided to university students. We think it is important to provide appropriate levels of support to apprentices. We also think it is appropriate that, once apprentices on the back of that support have been able to build a successful career, those funds are paid back so that the government can provide further support to future apprentices. There is no unlimited money pot out there. As Margaret Thatcher said some years ago, pennies do not fall from heaven; they have to be earned here on earth. There has never been a truer saying.

Senator Xenophon, what we are able to do with this bill is provide more significant support based on the proposition that, once apprentices are able to build successful careers, they repay that support so that the government is in a position to support future apprentices. Then we have a virtuous cycle where successful people in the future support other people who could be successful beyond that period.