Senate debates

Tuesday, 21 March 2023

Documents

Department of Education: Startup Year Program; Order for the Production of Documents

4:00 pm

Photo of Sarah HendersonSarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Communications) Share this | | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) on 29 September 2022, the Government announced the commencement of the Startup Year program consultation process, releasing a consultation paper, and called for submissions by 15 November 2022,

(ii) during the consultation, the Government also conducted a survey in relation to the Startup Year program with current students and recent graduates,

(iii) the Government has not made public all submissions it has received or details of the student survey, and

(iv) following the introduction of the Education Legislation Amendment (Startup Year and Other Measures) Bill 2023, the bill is scheduled to be introduced into the Senate on 23 March 2023; and

(b) orders that there be laid on the table by the Minister representing the Minister for Education, by no later than 10 am on Thursday, 23 March 2023, the following information relating to the consultation on the Startup Year program:

(i) a copy of each such submission made to the Government, and

(ii) a copy of the details of the student survey, including all data collected and the analysis of such data.

Photo of Anthony ChisholmAnthony Chisholm (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Education) Share this | | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Photo of Sue LinesSue Lines (President) Share this | | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Photo of Anthony ChisholmAnthony Chisholm (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Education) Share this | | Hansard source

This is an unnecessary motion. The Department of Education is engaged in a process of clearing submissions from the consultation process and de-identifying student survey data for publication. This is a standard process to address privacy issues. The process is ongoing, and it's expected that it will be completed in the coming days. The minister's office has been responsive to the shadow minister's office on this bill, going so far as to prepare, at their request, a bespoke mark-up of the bill for their consideration and pointing to where public copies of certain submissions are already available. This motion will be opposed, as cleared submissions will be available in the next few days.

Photo of Sue LinesSue Lines (President) Share this | | Hansard source

The question is that general business notice of motion No. 186, standing in the name of Senator Henderson, be agreed to.