Jason Clare (Blaxland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Education) Share this | Hansard source

We support the idea of a review. I think it's very worthwhile in making sure that the policy does what is intended and providing us with guidance, as a government and as a parliament, for where we go forward from here: if this works, what other areas might a policy like this apply to? In that respect, in the construction of the amendment that the shadow minister has put forward he mentions education. It's worth the House noting that on 1 January next year a scheme very similar to this will come into place for teachers and early educators in the most remote parts of Australia. So that's another example of where a policy like this, which waives or reduces HECS debt, is used as an incentive to encourage doctors, nurse practitioners but also teachers and early educators to work in some of the more remote parts of Australia.

We have before us two amendments to set up a review. We can't support both in these places. I've given an undertaking to the member for Mackellar to support her amendment, which we will deal with after this.

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