Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move the amendment on sheet 8029 in my name. This amendment is to help the debt incurred on the government, by requiring students to make loan repayments from the amount of $22,000, regardless of where the income is coming from. Under the current system, with a VET repayment loan, students are actually having to make repayments from $54,800 at four per cent. My amendment is a responsibility placed on the student which says that, 'you have incurred a debt to the taxpayer; you are responsible for that debt'. If we bring it in at $22,000, a percentage of that—I am saying two per cent, from $22,000 up to the $54,800—that means that you are paying back a two per cent loan and you are repaying your loan back to taxpayers—who were gracious enough to give you that loan so that you could do your course. And then after that, from $54,800 it then goes to the government's loan repayment scheme.

I believe that people have to start taking responsibility for their own actions. This is a privilege that is given to students by taxpayers, so that they can further their education. I think they have a responsibility. Too many people are actually taking advantage of this: they are doing their courses, they do not finish their courses, and it is a huge expense. As I said earlier, by 2025-26 these debts are going to be a cost of $186 billion to the taxpayer—that is, by 2025-26, it is going to be over 46 per cent of our national debt. That is why we must start reining this back in. People will be responsible for their own actions. If they want to have further education, it is up to them to repay the loan to the taxpayers. I therefore move this amendment in my name.

The CHAIR: Senator Hanson, would you also like to join amendments (1) and (2) on sheet 8804?

by leave—I also move amendments (1) and (2) on sheet 8804 standing in my name. This amendment says:

The Secretary may only approve a loan for a student for a course of study if the Secretary is satisfied that:

  (a) the student is a genuine student; and

  (b) the student is reasonably likely to repay the loan.

We have seen too many people who sign up to these courses with no intention of wanting to go on to further their studies or to seek employment with that study. They have been coerced into doing the course, and are signing up for it purely because they get a laptop. That has to be vetted very strongly by the department, by the Secretary, and then we can allow this to happen. If people were made aware that, 'if you sign up to this course, you are going to be responsible for repaying the taxpayer'—I think that is very important. Again, I will go back what I said earlier: people have to be responsible for their actions.

It is not up to the taxpayer to continually pay for this. I am not against further education by all means, but we cannot afford it and there are many other areas I would like to see the taxpayers' dollars spent, whether it be in health, the aged or many other areas, but not in this. So I believe there needs to be tightening. In 2009, the VET loans were at $25 million. They have gone up since 2009 till now, to $6.34 billion. There was only $21 million up-front. It has been ripped off. We have been taken like mugs. The whole system is totally wrong. We have agents out there pushing their agenda to make a lot of money out of this at the expense of the taxpayers. There has to be a responsibility based on it. If we tighten up, people will think twice about signing up to this, because they will be responsible to the taxpayer. And that is what I am very concerned about. So I have moved these amendments in my name.