Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2026-2027

Ms WITTY (Melbourne) (17:25): I rise to support a budget that continues the Albanese Labor government's work to build a better and fairer education system. From early childhood education right through to schools, TAFE and university, this budget is about opening doors for opportunity. When I was asked to run for the seat of Melbourne, I said yes because as a foster carer I met too many children who, through no fault of their own, had faced unbelievable challenges.

I wanted to step up and do everything I could to help ensure every child gets the best possible start in life, and I know education is the key. It opens doors, builds confidence, sparks curiosity and creates opportunity. It gives children the tools to thrive and backs the teachers and educators who work every day to help young Australians reach their full potential.

I believe every child deserves a chance to dream big, succeed and build a bright future, and a strong education is where that journey begins. That is the goal of this budget—a quality, affordable and safe early childhood education and care system, full and fair funding for public schools and a fairer higher education system, including cutting student debt by 20 per cent and making repayments fairer.

In early childhood education and care we are delivering real reform. Our cheaper child care policy is already providing cost-of-living relief for more than one million Australian families. We have also replaced the activity test with the three-day guarantee, making sure every child can access at least three days of subsidised early education and care per week.

The government is also backing early childhood educators, with a 15 per cent pay rise tied to limits on fee increases for families. We are strengthening safety through a $226 million child safety package, including mandatory child safety training, a national early childhood worker register and more unannounced compliance visits, with stronger powers to cut funding from services that are not meeting safety standards.

Affordable, safe, high-quality—this is the early education system this government is building. In schools, the Albanese Labor government is delivering full and fair funding for public schools. When we came to government, no public school outside the ACT was fully funded.

That was not good enough, so this government is fixing it. Through the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement, we are putting every public school on a pathway to full funding. That means an additional $20 billion for public schools over the next 10 years and $50 billion in the decade after that.

For Victorian public schools, it means an extra $3.5 billion over the next 10 years. That funding is tied to reforms that matter in classrooms: more individualised support, more mental health support and more support to attract and retain teachers. That is what full and fair funding will do.

It will help students catch up, keep up and finish school. It will back the teachers doing the work. It will strengthen the schools at the heart of our community and in higher education.

This government is delivering reform that matters. Melbourne has the highest number of people with student loans of any electorate in the country. Around 36,000 people in Melbourne are carrying student loan debt.

That is why the government's 20 per cent student debt cut matters. The first bill passed by this parliament wiped more than $16 billion in student debt for more than 3.2 million Australians, and we have made repayments fairer. For someone earning $70,000, repayments will fall from $1,750 a year to about $450.

That's about $1,300 less each year. It is also why the Commonwealth prac payment matters. It supports about 68,000 eligible teaching, nursing, midwifery and social work students while they complete compulsory placements.

Because education should open doors, not push people to breaking point. This budget delivers a better and fairer education system. From early learning to public schools, to TAFE and universities, it's a system that gives children the best start, that opens the door for opportunity and that backs students, teachers, educators and families.

That is what Labor governments do, and I am proud to support this budget.