Richard Colbeck Tasmania, Liberal Party
2:57 pm
My question is to the minister representing the Minister for Education, Senator Walsh. Before the last election, the Prime Minister promised that he would introduce paid prac for future nurses, teachers, social workers and midwives. What do you say to Elliot, a just-turned-19 first-year nursing student at UTAS who, when he went to sign up for his paid prac on 1 July, was told he didn't qualify and wouldn't be getting paid because of the rules and guidelines that Mr Albanese has put in place?
Jess Walsh Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Early Childhood Education
2:58 pm
We are really proud to be supporting Australian students with paid prac. I'm not sure about Elliot's circumstances, Senator Colbeck, but I can tell you that in my portfolio of early childhood education paid prac is making a real difference to people. We have shortages of workers in nursing, we have shortages in teaching, and paid prac is supporting people to stay at university and receive the support they need.
Richard Colbeck Tasmania, Liberal Party
2:59 pm
How many student nurses, teachers, social workers and midwives will be like Elliot and won't get paid to do their prac because they don't qualify?
Jess Walsh Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Early Childhood Education
Thank you, Senator Colbeck. Well, our government's new Commonwealth prac payment started on 1 July 2025, and it will support around 68,000 eligible higher education students to complete their practical training each year. It will support a whole lot more students than how many you wanted it to support, which was zero.
Sue Lines President
Minister Walsh, please resume your seat. Senator Colbeck?
Richard Colbeck Tasmania, Liberal Party
A point of order on direct relevance: my question was not how many students do qualify. How many students don't qualify?
Sue Lines President
The minister is being relevant to the question. Minister Walsh? Okay, second supplementary, Senator Colbeck?
Richard Colbeck Tasmania, Liberal Party
3:00 pm
Isn't Elliot ineligible because Labor designed paid prac with a 30-hour rule from 1 July and a means test that knocks thousands out? Will you fix the guidelines so all mandatory placements in nursing, teaching, social work and midwifery are genuinely paid, as the Prime Minister promised?
Jess Walsh Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Early Childhood Education
3:01 pm
Thank you, Senator Colbeck. The Albanese Labor government is delivering on our promise. We are delivering on our commitment to deliver paid prac for students of nursing, midwifery, social work and education. This is a game changer for tens of thousands of university students in critical degrees and occupations—and you know what? There are tens of thousands of people who will benefit from this, which is tens of thousands more people than would benefit if you were in government, because the number of people who would have paid prac if you were in government is zero.
Penny Wong SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs
I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.