Anne Stanley (Werriwa, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to make my contribution to the legislation before the House, which is the Universities Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) Bill 2025 and the Universities Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2025. The electorate that I represent is home to the outstanding Western Sydney University. With campuses in Liverpool, Campbelltown, Parramatta and Hawkesbury, Western Sydney University is a vital part of life in my part of Sydney.

The history of WSU goes back to the vision of Gough Whitlam, who is my predecessor in Werriwa. It was Gough, through the then education minister Kim Beazley Sr, who announced nearly $100,000 in funding to the New South Wales government for the establishment of a university in Campbelltown. It would seem like a modest sum, but 50 years ago it was the start of something wonderful that would shape our part of the world for the better. Years later, Mr Whitlam cemented his support for WSU when he chose it to be the home of his prime ministerial collection and the Whitlam Institute—both are well worth a visit.

Labor is the party of education. The Albanese Labor government carries the standard now for the current generation. Labor has always believed that through education living standards can rise, poverty will be reduced and opportunities will be created for all Australians and for a prosperous Australia. In February 2024, the government released the final report of the Australian Universities Accord. The review was asked to create a long-term plan for reform. The accord's final report states:

Higher education is vital to Australia's future: the knowledge, skills and research it produces enable us to be an economically prosperous, socially equitable and environmentally sustainable nation. By encouraging intellectual endeavour, creativity and personal accomplishment, it adds to the quality of our lives. Pursuing truth through free discussion, it promotes democracy and civic values.

One of the astonishing findings of the final report was that, by 2050, the number of people in the workforce who need a certificate, diploma or degree will rise to about 80 per cent. This is a challenging and sobering statistic, but it's a challenge that we need to embrace and meet.

The accord made 47 recommendations and, of these, 31 have already been implemented. Those already implemented include increasing the number of free university bridging courses, introducing paid prac for the first time, cutting 20 per cent off HECS debts and doubling the number of university study hubs. Regarding the last one, I'm particularly proud to say that there is now a hub in Macquarie Fields at the TAFE. While no longer in the electorate of Werriwa, I fought hard for the hub, knowing it would make a real, different and lasting change for many. Just before Christmas, the Minister for Education opened the Liverpool suburban study hub, in the TAFE building on Moore Street and Bigge Street in Liverpool. The hub will support more than 350 students a week in 60 study places. There are individual and collaborative areas with computers, wi-fi, printers and videoconferencing. It's a wonderful addition to Liverpool and for the students of south-west Sydney.

A key recommendation of the accord was the establishment of the Australian Tertiary Education Commission, ATEC. The bill before us now aims to implement this recommendation. An interim ATEC, which started on 1 July 2025, has laid the foundations for the establishment of the permanent body. Professor Tom Calma and the Hon. Fiona Nash have recently been appointed as commissioners, replacing Professor Mary O'Kane and Distinguished Professor Behrendt. They join Professor Barney Glover, who has been appointed as chief commissioner alongside his role as commissioner of Jobs and Skills Australia.

The role of ATEC is multifaceted and broad. It will be responsible for implementing new mission based compacts with universities. These compacts will give universities the flexibility they need to pursue goals while also contributing to the overall diversity within the higher education system, helping to deliver higher education priorities and meeting the needs of students and communities. In addition, ATEC will be responsible for implementing a new funding system—a system that will provide demand-driven places for equity students at a system level. ATEC will also provide expert advice to the government on a range of education matters, including policy settings, strategic direction, student demand, the cost of teaching and learning in higher education, and improving access and participation. The ATEC will have three commissioners and will report to the Minister for Education on higher education matters and to both the Minister for Education and the Minister for Skills and Training on delivering a more connected tertiary education system. Annually, ATEC will produce a state and territory education system report on the tertiary education system.

The second bill before us is the Universities Accord (Australian Tertiary Education Commission) (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2025. This bill amends the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 and the Higher Education Support Act 2003. The result of this bill is to allow ATEC to advise the minister on higher education frameworks and facilitates the new mission based compact process. The Australian higher education system is first class. Its role in helping Australians acquire the skills and qualifications they need will only grow with time.

For Australia, there's no turning back. We must embrace the challenges identified in the final report of the Australian Universities Accord. Not only that; we need to ensure that the overall governance of our tertiary education system makes us a match for decades to come. The establishment of ATEC will mean that our best and sharpest minds will be devoted to this incredibly important sector. I commend the bills to the House and thank the minister for his leadership in implementing these reforms in the university sector.

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