Lee Rhiannon (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Temporary Chairman. I have done them in two lots in globo for the ease of the chamber and have explored those issues because there is some crossover with these amendments. I will move to requests (7) and (9) covering amendments which, upon completion, ensure the apprentice will get a 40 per cent discount on their loan, not the proposed 20 per cent. Then an amendment inserts a clause—and we see this as the most important amendment—that would waive the debt for any apprentice who is dismissed from their apprenticeship or traineeship as a result of any action taken by the employer. I give emphasis to that amendment because many situations could arise from this bill if it is put into law. One of those could be that a young person starting off on their career has an apprenticeship, the employer dismisses them and they end up with no qualification but with a large debt. We need to manage that in some way. Allowing that to happen would be a highly irresponsible way to be managing our apprenticeship schemes. That is why we have brought that amendment forward.

I commend the Greens amendments to the chamber. We have put a lot together for the ease of the committee at this late hour.