Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to thank Senator Seselja for the question, because the opportunities that the government's higher education reform package create for students from low socio-economic backgrounds are a very, very important aspect of the initiative that the Minister for Education is taking, especially in regional areas. For example, we know it is very important to encourage students to stay on to complete secondary education and for many, many more to go on to higher education than is currently the case. This is a package that creates real opportunities. For example, there is going to be no limit on how many students can be offered diploma courses. These are possibly life-changing opportunities for young people in particular, for people who are in mid-career and want to change from one career to another or for people who really need a pathway into higher education. In fact, around the country over 80,000 additional students a year will be supported by the Commonwealth by 2018 as a result of these reforms—and very many of those will come from disadvantaged backgrounds.

We also have in the package the Commonwealth scholarship scheme, which has the potential to be the largest scholarship scheme in Australia's history for supporting students from disadvantaged backgrounds, including those from regional Australia. I do not understand why those opposite are just gratuitously opposed to the extraordinary opportunity that such a scholarship scheme could provide. It can provide help with living costs or help with other expenses. This is a package that really spreads opportunity for students across Australia—and with enormous potential for people from low socio-economic backgrounds. Those opposite are deniers. They are negative, they have nothing else to say. They deny there is anything positive at all about the reform approach, which is very sad. That argument of theirs is demolished by the facts, and this is an extraordinary opportunity for Australian students. (Time expired)