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

As promised, this was the very first bill to be introduced into the parliament after the election and, very shortly it will be the very first bill that we vote upon. This bill cuts student debt by 20 per cent. It also makes important structural changes to the way our student debt repayment system works. The Universities Accord (Cutting Student Debt by 20 Per Cent) Bill 2025 will take a weight off the shoulders of three million Australians, and it's happening because of a promise that the Prime Minister made to the Australian people in November last year. It's happening because Australians voted for this in their millions in May this year. And it's happening because we are about to vote for it in a few moments time.

I thank the member for Kooyong, not just for her contribution to this debate but for her ongoing commitment to reform of higher education. The changes the member refers to were considered by the Universities Accord. I've often said, as I did in answer to a question in question time yesterday, that the accord is bigger than one budget and that it's a blueprint for the future. We will keep working through the accord's recommendations, and we will take advice from the Australian Tertiary Education Commission as well.

Although we're not in a position to support these amendments at this time, my door is always open to all members of parliament to talk about how we build a better and a fairer education system. With that, I commend this bill to the House.

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