Deborah O'Neill (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Innovation) Share this | Hansard source

I just want to put on the record that Labor understands that moving the repayment threshold up to $50,000 is, in fact, better than what's proposed in this bill. We heard compelling evidence around this in the inquiry. It was a very short inquiry—just half a day in Melbourne. That was all the government's then timetable allowed. Sadly, we're where we are.

Labor believes that the HELP repayment system should be looked at as part of our national inquiry into post-secondary education, and we know from evidence at that hearing on the bill that the repayment thresholds are being lowered not for any noble purpose, but simply for the government's desire to make budget savings at the expense of young Australians, who are our future and deserve much better understanding of education as an investment instead of the monotony of the cost of education that we hear from this current government. Labor's not satisfied that the government's done enough to look at how the HELP repayment thresholds intersect with the tax and social security systems. So, with those reservations, we still oppose this proposal from you, Senator Hinch.