Jess Walsh (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Early Childhood Education) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Walker, for your question. It's wonderful to have such a strong advocate for young Australians and cutting student debt on the Albanese Labor government team.

A year ago, the Prime Minister of Australia promised that a re-elected Albanese Labor government would wipe 20 per cent off HECS debt. Australians voted for it, and we are delivering it. Last weekend, people started receiving emails and text messages saying their HECS debt had been wiped. And in just two days time, 1.5 million Australians will have their HECS debt cut too. Next week, the same thing will happen for a further 1.5 million Australians. They too will get that text message. They will get that email. That's three million Australians getting the HECS relief that they deserve. The HECS relief that we promised. The HECS relief that this government is delivering.

We've wiped $5,500 from the average student debt—gone!—and put it back into the pockets of Australians just as they are getting started in life, just when they need that relief the most. Three million Australians are benefiting from our commitment. Three million Australians are getting this cost-of-living relief. Three million Australians are getting a weight off their shoulders just before Christmas. These are the kinds of reforms that only a Labor government will ever deliver. From these cuts to student debt to our historic investments in Medicare, only Labor delivers the reforms and the relief that young Australians and all Australians deserve.