Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education) Share this | Hansard source

In relation to Labor's policy, its 20 per cent discount—of course, it's now voting against its own policy, as everyone can see—I think it's really important to put on the record here what the experts are saying. Chris Richardson, the leading Australian economist, said:

… handing $16bn to graduates is a reverse Robin Hood: it's a tax cut targeted to the big end of town—

and we know Labor is good at looking after the big end of town—

with money going from the less well off to the better off.

It's a fairness fail.

Worse still, that $16bn does nothing for the nation's future.

Andrew Lilley, the chief interest rate strategist with Barrenjoey, said:

Just sad to see this. Many good ways to "spend" ten billion. Attempting to buy 3 million votes in a close election is not a good one. We should be wary—creeping populism can grow for decades.

And this is from Ashley Craig, economist:

"This is an abominable idea that gives precious tax dollars to rich Australians while doing nothing to help with the currently elevated cost of living.

"If it is popular, it is because people don't understand this, and are being misled."

"This is exceptionally bad policy which favours the rich, doesn't help with current cost of living, and does nothing to encourage higher ed."

This is very bad policy. As I said before, this wreaks of unfairness. This wreaks of elitism. This wreaks of Labor looking after the top end of town. I say to Labor: it's time this government starts looking at ordinary, hard-working Australians and starts treating all Australians with the fairness they deserve.