Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2025-2026

Ms CLUTTERHAM (Sturt) (17:10): Education lifts people out of poverty. It teaches people to think critically and think for themselves how to identify and solve a problem. It gets people ready to participate in the workforce to build our communities and country.

Together with health, it is the single most important factor in building the foundations of a productive economy. A healthy population underpins a healthy economy, and that healthy economy can stretch, grow and become more productive with an educated workforce. Providing opportunities for all Australians to obtain a meaningful education will always be a feature of Labor governments, and the Albanese Labor government is no exception.

We know that it's important that quality education begins in early childhood and extends through primary school and high school and on to tertiary education, TAFE, VET and apprenticeship programs. Education is a lifelong endeavour, and cementing opportunities for lifelong learning must always be a priority. I see the fruits of the Albanese Labor government's significant educational reforms almost every day when I'm out and about in my great electorate of Sturt.

Home to 44 public, private and independent primary and high schools, the people of Sturt value education. The northern part of Sturt is also home to the Gilles Plains TAFE, which I have visited several times to speak to education professionals and students about the emphasis that this government has placed on TAFE and VET. This institution is thriving under the leadership of Fiona Champion, Executive Director of Students, Strategic Planning and Policy.

Fiona introduced me to several students, including Rachel, an enthusiastic enrolled nursing student in her mid-40s. Rachel had spent the better part of her 20s, 30s and early 40s raising her four children and then wanted to do something for herself and her community. Rachel explained to me that it was only through the government's free TAFE program that she could take this step because she and her husband couldn't afford for her to stop working and pay tuition.

For Rachel, it is simply not true that you don't value something if you don't pay for it. The depth of Rachel's gratitude for the opportunity presented to her was clear. She deeply valued the education she was receiving and was determined to repay this through service to her fellow Australians as an enrolled nurse.

And the, there are the other students who will go on to complete paid practical placements as part of their studies, including eligible teaching, midwifery, nursing and social work students. They will all benefit from the Commonwealth's paid prac placement system. At the other end of the spectrum is this government's investment in building a universal early childhood education system.

We know you can't grow it without workers, which is why the government's 15 per cent pay rise for early childhood educators was so critical. When you have skilled workers who are motivated to stay in the industry because they are being paid a proper wage, you can fulfil your belief that every child has the right to go to an early childhood education centre. The government's three-day guarantee, which will replace the current activity test from January 2026, ensures that every child is guaranteed access to at least three days of high-quality early education.

It is not unfair or divisive to provide this opportunity for children, who do not decide where they are born, how much their parents earn or what their parents have the capacity to do from a work perspective. Children don't decide these things. Governments need to provide frameworks for access to quality education from an early age, which is what this government is doing.

Once children progress to primary school, they will benefit from the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement, which will see the Commonwealth increase its contribution to the schooling resource standard, which equates to an extra $16.5 billion to public schools over a decade. As a product of Australia's public school system, I am very proud of this commitment. I'm especially proud that it's not a blank cheque and that the onus will be on schools to implement reforms with respect to school attendance, student health, individualised support for students, and teacher retention and recruitment.

This will be especially important in STEM subjects, where the government will also invest $7 million to expand STEM initiatives in schools. Targeted opportunities for all Australians—that is the educational present this government is determined to champion and the educational future this government is determined to build.