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

Senator Hanson-Young actually knows what it's like to pay back the debt to the Australian taxpayer, when it took her I think a year to pay back to the government the $15,000 or $20,000 that she owed the taxpayer because she overspent on her travel. So, she should understand what it is to pay back the Australian taxpayer when you do the wrong thing.

I spoke earlier about salary levels for graduates in various professions. Entry to these occupations and professions is by virtue of taxpayer funding. The student loan scheme in its various forms has given them a wonderful opportunity to pursue their chosen career path, and their loan should be repaid as soon as it is affordable to do so.

I mentioned earlier my concerns about the lower level of access to higher education by students from rural and regional areas compared to those from major centres. I believe that Australia is well provided for by universities which have campuses in smaller centres and regional cities, and I applaud them for their initiatives geared to the needs of students from those areas. However, more can and should be done for our rural and regional areas. I visit areas of my state and talk to people about their needs. In too many areas, population levels are falling. When this happens, it becomes a domino effect. When schools close and medical services are cut back, it becomes harder and harder to attract and retain people. Communities need these essential services, and they need the skilled tradespeople and workers to keep them viable. I want to see higher education and vocational studies geared more closely to the needs of individual communities, and our regional universities are ideally placed to do this.

In conclusion, the student loan scheme needs to remain viable so that kids in Queensland going through primary school today knowing that it will be there in years to come and that they'll be able to attend regional campuses like Central Queensland University, the University of Southern Queensland, the University of the Sunshine Coast and James Cook University—all of which are excelling in meeting the needs of our regions. I take my hat off to them for their efforts. Along with our other universities and higher education providers in Queensland, our young people have a real choice in tertiary education. The next step is to extend this choice through greater access to apprenticeships and vocational education and training.

I am on record as supporting a substantial increase to the number of apprenticeships and urge the government to do more to provide better support to small and medium businesses, particularly in regional areas, to take on apprentices and train our future generation of tradesmen and tradeswomen. As I said before, let's move to build up TAFE so that our children will have real choice—choice will allow them to contribute to and be part of a strong future Australian society. This way we will provide real work choice to school leavers and ensure Australia's future economic growth.