Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2025-2026
Ms LE (Fowler) (17:52): Education is the gateway to opportunity, and my presence in this House today is proof of its power to transform a life, a family and a future. When my late mother was given a choice for refugee settlement between the United States and Australia, she chose Australia for one reason: education. I still remember her words: 'Australia is said to have the best education system in the world.
That's important for you and your sisters.' That belief shaped everything that followed. Through Australian schools, I learned English, found my voice and built a life of purpose and service. Education gave a refugee girl who once spoke no English the opportunity to stand here as a member of the Australian parliament.
That is the promise of education—that every child, no matter where they begin, deserves a chance to reach their full potential. Over the past month, I've attended many year 12 graduations across my electorate of Fowler. Each one was a celebration of that promise—the end of one chapter; the beginning of another.
For many of these young people, especially those from migrant and refugee families, education represents hope: the belief that hard work can open doors and that a better life is possible. I saw the pride of parents who came to this country with little but determination now watching their children graduate. It reminded me of my own mother's gratitude that her children could study freely in Australia.
But today, for too many families, that door is starting to close. Despite billions spent on education, opportunities are narrowing instead of expanding. One of the clearest examples is the job-ready graduates scheme.
It was meant to steer students into areas that the economy needed, like health, teaching and science, by making those degrees cheaper. Instead, by making degrees like the humanities more than double in price, it has left countless Australians burdened with higher debt and fewer choices. I'm not dismissing the importance of business, science or technology.
These skills are vital. But why are we penalising students who choose to study the humanities, the arts, philosophy and history? These disciplines teach us to think critically, understand our shared story and build empathy—qualities just as essential to our nation's future as any STEM degree.
The universities accord interim report called Job-Ready Graduates a policy that created 'perverse outcomes' and warned it could cause 'long-term damage' to our higher education system. In communities like mine, where parents work multiple jobs so their children can study, that damage is deeply personal. These families still believe, as my mother did, that education is the pathway to a better life.
But rising fees and ballooning student debt are putting that dream further out of reach. That's why I introduced—and reintroduced—my private member's bill to reverse the unfair fee hike and inequities caused by this scheme. I again call on the Albanese Labor government to support it, because fixing this broken model must be a priority, not an afterthought.
Beyond universities, we must look to the young people pursuing TAFE and apprenticeships—the backbone of our future workforce. Apprentices and trainees in Western Sydney tell me they love what they're learning but they're struggling to afford it. Travel, uniforms, tools and unpaid placements are forcing many to drop out before they finish.
Rizki Deni from my Fowler Youth Advisory Committee said: The value of education shouldn't be measured only by how useful it is to the job market, but by how it helps us contribute to humanity. Our young people are not asking for handouts. They're asking for fairness, for a system that supports them to learn, to work and to build their future.
If we truly want to strengthen Australia's skills pipeline, we must rebuild education around three pillars: equity, so that cost is never a barrier; relevance, so that training reflects real-world needs and placements are properly supported; and pathways, so students can move seamlessly between TAFE, university and work without falling into hardship. Education changed my life.
It gave me a voice, a home and a future. Every child in Fowler and across Australia deserves the same opportunity. Let us rebuild an education system that opens doors once more, not just for some but for all, because when we invest in education we don't just transform individual lives; we strengthen the very future of our nation.
To every student, teacher and parent I've met across Fowler: thank you for reminding me every day why education matters. Your passion and perseverance are what make our community strong. Our young people deserve no less.