Jordon Steele-John (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

University student debt is a weight on the backs of millions of people at a time when so many are already carrying so much. Young people often carry the highest HECS debts and are the hardest hit by the cost-of-living crisis. HECS repayments cut into their take-home pay right when they need it the most. So, while the 20 per cent reduction in HECS put forward by the government is welcome, we must acknowledge that this is shaving a bit off the edges and calling it a day. But here's the truth: for so many, the mountain of debt will still be there. The burden is still there. The injustice is still there.

Labor had, and still have, the opportunity in this parliament to finally lift that weight, to enable a generation to no longer have this ever-increasing student debt looming over them, and yet they are choosing not to. Wiping student debt and making university free is possible. At the very least, making the current system fairer is definitely possible. The only thing in the way is political will.

Back in 1974, the Australian government abolished university tuition fees, with a goal of opening up access to higher education regardless of a person's income or background. Then, in 1989, HECS was introduced, a deferred payment system where people repay through the tax system once they have started to earn enough. Now, I know that many in my generation deeply appreciate access to HECS. Without it, university wouldn't have been an option for them. But what we did not see coming was how that debt would spiral; how, even after making regular repayments, many would find that their debts had grown. At the end of the year, you would look at that balance and sit there in shock that it had grown larger. This is simply not fair.

If this government made gas corporations pay their fair share of tax, that one change would raise billions. It would raise enough to cancel all student debt, enough to make university free for all, enough to lift the weight of student debt from everyone. The cost of the entire HECS debt—all of it—is just a fraction of what this country gives away to fossil fuel corporations and tax avoiders. So don't tell us that it's impossible. Don't tell us that it's too hard. Let's talk in real terms about what this actually means. Going to university used to be an opportunity available to all Australians. It used to be about aspirations, interests and a path to building a better future. Now it is a conversation about debt. It is a calculation about how much debt you are willing to accumulate if you think the financial risk will pay off in the end. That's not a fair system. That's a broken promise. Free education isn't a radical idea; it's a fair one. It's a policy that opens doors, levels the playing field and recognises that education is a public good, not a personal debt.

In the meantime, there are many other steps that we could take towards fixing inequities, like wiping out indexation altogether or, at the very least, no longer waiting until the end of the financial year to deduct compulsory repayments from your HECS debt balance, ensuring people are charged the least indexation possible. It's time to give people back the freedom to choose the higher education pathway that works for them without the threat of a decades-long financial hangover.

On the topic of university, we know that disabled people are underrepresented in higher education. Governments have received report after report that action is needed to make our universities more inclusive. We need to change the system. We need to build a system that focuses on the whole of the student; where we support people in their learning and in finding affordable student housing; and that provides assistance with finding employment and adequate income support, as opposed to simply enrolling disabled students into a course and hoping they succeed. I have heard from disabled people across the country about the immense barriers they face in accessing university education. These aren't isolated incidents. They reflect systemic failures by both institutions and governments. These failures have real and often devastating consequences for our community.

Here are just some of the experiences that have been shared with me. A deaf student requires captioning to support their learning. The university's solution? Inaccurate AI generated captions riddled with errors or, in some cases, no captions at all. Others were told at the time of applying to university that AUSLAN interpretation would be provided, only to find that those supports never materialised. Some students who require note taking didn't receive that support until weeks into the semester, putting them at an immediate and unfair disadvantage. Wheelchair users have been unable to access classrooms because ramps have been blocked off for construction or lifts were out of order. In one case, a student was forced to take a 40-minute detour across campus just to get to class. Neurodivergent students are constantly having to advocate for themselves against staff who are poorly trained and unwilling to implement approved access plans. This is not just a failure of policy; it is discrimination.

There must be a change in this system. There must be inclusion. I know that many in our community are pleased to have some relief through the government's HECS changes, but we have a lot of work to do to make universities inclusive, accessible and affordable.