Education Legislation Amendment (Integrity and Other Measures) Bill 2025

Ms BELYEA (Dunkley) (13:07): I'd like to acknowledge the member for Riverina's acknowledgement of the member for Bruce's work in the education space. I also acknowledge that the VCE students in Victoria commenced their exams—good luck to all of them. Regardless of your results, your VCE will not determine your future ahead on its own.

The Albanese Labor government has committed to a range of reforms in education whilst it's been in its role. We've seen HECS debt relief. We've seen the introduction of free TAFE.

We've seen prac placement supports. We've also seen the introduction of universal child care. But there's more with that.

The Minister for Education, Mr Clare, has introduced the Education Legislation Amendment (Integrity and Other Measures) Bill 2025, and I strongly support the education bill—a comprehensive reform that strengthens integrity, expands opportunity and improves transparency across Australia's education system, from early childhood to higher education. I commend the Minister for Education, Jason Clare, and the Albanese Labor government for bringing forward this important bill.

It reflects our enduring commitment to fairness, integrity and excellence in education, values that define who we are as a nation. These values and practical work mean that many of us are here in these halls of parliament because of the incredible teachers and systems that we have been part of this country. This bill amends four key acts administered within the education portfolio: the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000, the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011, the Higher Education Support Act 2003 and A New Tax System (Family Assistance) (Administration) Act, which governs the Child Care Subsidy program.

Together, these reforms ensure our education system remains fair, transparent and future focused, building integrity into every level, from early learning to universities. Whether they are a child in preschool, an international student, a student at a local TAFE or a First Nations student studying medicine, this bill ensures their education is part of a system that values equity, quality and access.

One of the most significant reforms in this bill and one I am deeply proud to support is the amendment to the Higher Education Support Act. That removes the cap on Commonwealth supported places for First Nations students studying medicine. Last year, the government extended demand driven university places to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

That reform recognised that every First Nations student who meets entry requirements deserves a fair chance to study at a public university. This bill extends that principle to medicine. From 2026, universities will be able to enrol First Nations medical students under Commonwealth support.

This is about more than numbers; it's about justice, representation and better health outcomes. In my electorate of Dunkley, we're proud of institutions like Chisholm TAFE and Monash University, and I courage every First Nations student who wants to study in Dunkley to do so. We've made it simpler.

Currently, only around 0.6 per cent of doctors identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders, even though First Nations people comprise 3.8 per cent of Australia's population. Of these First Nations students, 1.2 per cent live in Dunkley. We know that First Nations doctors and health workers deliver better outcomes for First Nations patients.

They bring cultural understanding, community connection and lived experience to their practice. They are also more likely to work in rural, regional and remote areas and in Aboriginal community controlled services and organisations, like First People's Health in Frankston. By expanding medical education access, the Albanese Labor government is helping close the healthcare gap and ensuring more communities have access to culturally safe, high-quality care.

This reform is practical, evidence based and fair. It reflects our commitment to strengthen Medicare—more bulk-billing, more doctors and more nurses—and I wholeheartedly support it. Another key focus of this bill is restoring integrity to Australia's international education sector, one of our great national success stories.

International education enriches our campuses and communities, fosters global understanding and contributes billions to our economy. In Dunkley, I see its benefits daily in local businesses, classrooms and community life, particularly at the Peninsula campus of Monash University. After the pandemic, rapid growth in international student numbers drew in some bad actors, unscrupulous providers and agents who exploited students and damaged our reputation.

Reviews such as Christine Nixon's 2023 Rapid Review into the Exploitation of Australia's Visa System, the Review of the Migration System and the joint standing committee's interim report Quality and integrity all made one thing clear: urgent action was needed. The bill delivers that action through targeted reforms to the Education Services for Overseas Students Act.

The amendments will require providers to have delivered a course to domestic students for at least two years before offering it to international students and strengthen the fit-and-proper test to prevent collusion and dodgy ownership between providers and education agents. They will give the Secretary of the Department of Education new powers to collect and share information about education agent commissions.

They will define 'education agent commission' in law, paving the way to ban commission payments for onshore student transfers. And they will empower the minister to temporarily pause or suspend new provider or course registrations where systemic issues arise or where it's in the public interest. Additionally a provider's registration can now be automatically suspended or cancelled if they have not delivered a course to overseas students for 12 consecutive months or if they are under investigation for serious offences.

These measures target a small minority of providers undermining a world-class system. Public universities, foundation program providers and schools are appropriately exempt from some provisions to avoid unnecessary red tape. This is about cleaning up the system, not constraining quality providers.

It's worth remembering that similar reforms were blocked last year by the opposition, who chose to side with the dodgy providers over system integrity. But this government will not give up. We're determined to rebuild a trusted, sustainable international education sector that remains a source of national pride.

The bill also strengthens the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011—that's a mouthful!—to ensure Australian standards apply both onshore and offshore. Australian universities increasingly deliver education overseas through campuses, partnerships and joint programs that extend our reach and reputation. That's something to celebrate, but it also demands robust oversight.

Under this bill the higher education providers must obtain Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency authorisation before delivering Australian higher education offshore. They will also have to notify about any new or changed offshore arrangements and provide annual reports on their overseas operations. These measures protect the value of Australian qualifications and ensure that, wherever an Australian degree is awarded, it continues to stand for integrity and excellence.

The bill also amends the new tax system to strengthen the integrity of the childcare subsidy program and improve transparency in early childhood education and care. These reforms will help families make informed choices while ensuring taxpayer funds are used responsibly. The amendments will broaden provisions around protected information, allowing families greater access to information about providers; support the early education service delivery prices, enabling government to collect reliable data on the true cost of delivering early childhood education; clarify technical provisions around debts and reviews; and correct minor legislative misalignments to ensure the system reflects the policy intent.

They build on reforms passed in July that allow greater public disclosure of providers sanctioned for non-compliance. Together they enhance integrity, strengthen transparency and build public confidence in a system supporting hundreds of thousands of families. Across all four parts of this bill—from First Nations medical education to international education, offshore quality assurance and early childhood transparency—clear themes emerge: integrity, opportunity and trust.

We are a government that believes in opportunity for all, ensuring every student, every family and every provider is part of a fair and trusted system. We believe in integrity, that public confidence in education, from child care to universities, must never be compromised by greed or exploitation. And we believe in accountability, that strong, transparent governance delivers better outcomes for students, for families and for our nation.

The Education Legislation Amendment (Integrity and Other Measures) Bill 2025 represents thoughtful, practical reform. It expands opportunities, it restores trust in international education, it upholds Australia's global reputation, and it strengthens transparency and integrity in early childhood education and care, which we know is paramount at this time. This bill is about fairness, equality and doing the right thing by students, families and communities.

I thank the Minister for Education and all those who contributed to these reforms. The bill demonstrates what good governance looks like—evidenced based integrity always guided by the national best interest. I am proud to support it and I commend the bill to the House.