Universities Accord (Cutting Student Debt by 20 Per Cent) Bill 2025

Senator WALSH (Victoria—Minister for Early Childhood Education and Minister for Youth) (11:35): Thank you so much, Senator Walker, and thank you for bringing the voices of young Australians to the chamber today. We look forward to your advocacy on this issue, on other issues facing young Australians and, indeed, on all of the issues that you bring your voice to in our parliament.

Young Australians can look to benefit from this bill that is ahead of the parliament today. This is a bill that cuts student debt by 20 per cent. When somebody leaves university and they end up with the average HECS debt that people have today, of around $27,000, they'll see $5½ thousand taken off their HECS bill.

That's what young Australians will see. They'll also see a government that is doing exactly what we said we were going to do. The CHAIR: I remind the chamber that we do have a question before the chair, and that is the amendment moved by Senator Henderson.

Debate has become pretty wide ranging, rather than on that amendment.