Julie-Ann Campbell (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The member for Goldstein talks about the divide between this side of the chamber and that side of the chamber. Can I tell you that, when it comes to higher education, whether you are going to university to get a degree or whether you are going to TAFE to get a trade, that divide is very, very clear. Labor invests in higher education, and all the opposition has ever done is cut.

We know right now that there's a further divide, and that's a divide over on the other side of the chamber. Everyone has been talking about the division in the coalition, but it's clear that, whether you're in the Liberals or whether you're in the Nationals, there is no divide when it comes to higher education. The track record is clear. With free TAFE, it doesn't matter whether you're in the Liberals and doesn't matter whether you're in the Nationals. You didn't want it to happen. When it comes to 20 per cent off student debt, it doesn't matter whether you're in the Liberals and doesn't matter whether you're in the Nationals. They didn't want it to happen. So, when the member for Goldstein talks about 'street cred' on higher education, they don't have one iota of it.

Last week I had the great pleasure of visiting Sunnybank State High School with the Minister for Education. The small but mighty Sunnybank state high is one of the 50 schools in Moreton, and it really reflects our local community. Its 700 students come from 60 different cultures, and they're doing great work there. It was the first time that I got to see equations being written up on the glass wall, with students gathered around to look; it was the first time I understood that BOMDAS could also be BIMDAS; and it was the first time that I've been able to throw paper in a classroom.

The minister and I met with Principal Carmen Anderson and her team of dedicated teachers. They're focused on strengthening literacy and numeracy outcomes and on improving engagement for students who are at risk from disengaging. It's always inspiring to hear about such work, and it was equally as inspiring to talk to the student leaders of 2026. Those students spoke about their future ambitions. We met a future fashion designer, a future lawyer, a future firefighter, a future Australia Zoo animal handler and, yes, even someone who wants to be a politician. These students are motivated and excited about their futures, and I know I left the school feeling buoyed by their enthusiasm.

Today I am speaking about the Universities Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) Bill 2025. Labor has brought this important piece of legislation to the House for the students we met last Thursday and for the hundreds of thousands of current and future higher education students who are working towards their future ambitions.

I first joined the Labor Party when I was in high school, when I was 17 years old. The reason I joined was that at the time the coalition government was making deep, deep cuts into tertiary education. I went to my mum and I said, 'I want to do something about this,' and she drove me to the local branch. She drove me to the local branch of the Labor Party because it is Labor who has always been the party of higher education. As I said before, the contrast between the two sides of this parliament could not be starker.

The establishment of the Australian Tertiary Education Commission, ATEC, is in direct response to the Australian Universities Accord. This was a first-term Albanese Labor government initiative which acknowledged that, while Australia had a strong education system, there were clear opportunities to improve it and to make it more equitable, and that is what we are striving for here. That's what we're driving for—to look beyond the horizon and to make the system even better.

Professor Mary O'Kane led the comprehensive year-long review of the nation's higher education sector and was tasked with focusing on the nation's knowledge and skills needs, both now and in the decades ahead. The review had to take into account access to tertiary education, affordability, governance and accountability. It had to examine pathways and connections between vocational education and training and higher education. Finally, the review had to sit within a wider framework of fostering the research, the innovation and the national capabilities that will drive Australia's growth. The final report was released by the government in February 2024, and it sets out 47 recommendations that this government has already implemented—31 of those in full or in part.

This bill implements the recommendation to establish the ATEC. It's supported by $54 million of funding for a decade. An interim ATEC has been in operation since July 2025 and was initially led by Professor Mary O'Kane, Distinguished Professor Larissa Behrendt and Professor Barney Glover. Professor Tom Calma and the Hon. Fiona Nash have recently been appointed as commissioners, and they join Professor Barney Glover, who has been appointed acting chief commissioner alongside his role as the Commissioner of Jobs and Skills Australia. Together, they have established the foundations for the permanent commission, and this legislation reflects their work.

This bill establishes ATEC as an independent statutory authority. ATEC's overarching objective is to be a steward for Australia's higher education system. It will guide ongoing collaborative conversations about the future direction of tertiary education in this nation. ATEC will strengthen the development of a strong, cohesive system that encourages diversity and genuine choice for students, no matter their background and no matter their ambitions. The commission will also be tasked with monitoring progress towards goals around skills development and equity, while ensuring the regulatory load across the sector doesn't impede good teaching, good learning and innovation. Specifically, ATEC will shape policy across higher education and university research and work closely with the Skills and Workforce Ministerial Council to develop joint initiatives that strengthen the whole of the tertiary education system. A big part of ATEC's role will be to plan the system's long-term direction, with additional responsibilities around setting pricing approaches and distributing funding across the higher education sector, making sure that resources are aligned with student needs and, importantly, with future workforce demands.

Crucially, ATEC will also focus on supporting and strengthening First Nations representation and creating opportunities for broad engagement across the tertiary education system. This is necessary because the Australian Universities Accord outlined the qualifications targets we need to achieve, and the report recommends that, to meet Australia's future skills needs and drive improvements to national workforce participation and, indeed, productivity, the Australian government adopt attainment targets to set the ambition for the tertiary education system to deliver the recommended tertiary education attainment target of at least 80 per cent of the working-age population having at least one tertiary education qualification—that is, a certificate III or above—by 2050. This is 20 per cent more than in 2023, and the establishment of ATEC is the bedrock which we need to drive that ambition.

ATEC will guide the future of Australia's tertiary education system, focusing on policy direction, the real cost of delivering high-quality teaching, the kinds of courses students are demanding here and now and how Australia can build the skills and knowledge that we need in those years ahead.

ATEC will also examine the barriers that are still holding some Australians back from accessing and succeeding in higher education and offer practical advice on how to improve participation and outcomes. On top of that, it will play a key role in helping government figure out how to bring higher education and VET closer together so that students can move more easily between the two.

Another major responsibility for ATEC will be introducing a redesigned funding model. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, the system will include demand driven places for equity students right across the sector, as well as needs based funding that reflects the number of students from low-SES backgrounds, First Nations leaders and those studying at regional campuses. If more students from underrepresented groups can access and stay at university, they are more likely to thrive. They're more likely to complete their studies. They're more likely to have a pathway to a good, secure job. Higher education isn't just about opening the door; it's also about making sure students are supported along that journey.

Finally, ATEC will be rolling out new mission based compacts with universities. These agreements allow universities to focus on their own specialities and to focus on their own strengths, such as research, strong industry partnerships or serving a particular region. At the same time, the compacts mean that universities are aligned with national higher education priorities and, indeed, are responsive to the needs of the students and the communities that they serve day in and day out.

ATEC will produce an annual state of the tertiary education system report, signposting emerging trends and challenges across the entirety of the system. It will also track headway on tertiary participation and attainment goals and outline progress towards the more connected and coordinated tertiary system. The annual review will also assess whether the system is keeping up with Australia's skills and knowledge needs as industries evolve and new technologies reshape the workforce. We know the workforce is changing. We know that, each and every year, new technology emerges. We know that, to be able to use that, we need a productive workforce that is well trained and has the skills to drive the economic outputs of this country to make us better. That's what this bill contributes to.

Finally, the report will monitor equity and inclusion, supporting the system to move towards genuine fairness and opportunity for all. ATEC will collaborate with other key agencies across the education and skills landscape, including Jobs and Skills Australia, the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency, the Australian Research Council, the National Centre for Vocational Educational Research and state and territory governments. Limits are placed on the Minister for Education to safeguard ATEC's independence and integrity. The minister cannot direct ATEC's findings, influence the advice it provides or intervene in the decisions about individual providers.

The establishment of ATEC follows on from the substantial investments that the Albanese Labor government has made in education since May 2022. We're making higher education more accessible and more supportive by expanding practical opportunities and strengthening student services. This includes doubling the number of university study hubs, with 20 new regional and 14 new suburban hubs, so more students can study close to home. At a time when we know that Australians are feeling the pressure of cost of living, this has never been more important.

We've also increased the number of free university bridging courses to help people prepare for tertiary study and, for the first time, introduced paid prac for teaching, nursing, midwifery and social work students so that they are not financially disadvantaged while completing mandatory placements—mandatory placements that are so important to our education system and to our care system—making sure that, from our youngest Australians all the way up, every Australian is educated, is given support and is safe and healthy.

To strengthen student life, higher education providers will now be required to direct at least 40 per cent of student services and amenities fees to student led organisations, ensuring funding goes where students need it the most. We've also expanded access by making demand driven Commonwealth supported places available for all First Nations students who meet entry requirements. Student safety and fairness are also priorities. A new national student ombudsman and a national code to prevent and respond to gender based violence will provide stronger protections and clearer standards.

At its core, the establishment of the Australian Tertiary Education Commission is about acting now to set our tertiary education up to deliver what Australia needs in the future. It's a future focused step—like Labor's funding for more university places—and it is an example of our prioritisation of higher education.

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