Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2026-2027

Mr MONCRIEFF (Hughes) (17:35): Education changes lives every single day. It enables people from all walks of society to live the lives that they want and follow the dreams that can seem unthinkable without it. In my community in southern Sydney, we see it changing lives each day—not just in English and maths but across a wide range of areas important to development of young lives.

At the end of last year, I had the opportunity to see Alfords Point Public School perform Seussical. Not just the music class but the whole school, from kindergarten to six, were involved in performing this amazing piece. It's an opportunity they wouldn't have had without access to the incredible public schools we have in southern Sydney.

We know that education is changing lives each day in southern Sydney for the better, and that's why this government is ensuring that education in my community is secured for the future. Almost one in two young people have a university degree today, but not everywhere—not in our outer suburbs. For those living in the outskirts of Sydney, university can feel like something that happens somewhere else.

It's how I felt when I finished year 12 as well, and I was very fortunate to have been able to attend a university campus in my community, the southern Sydney, now Sutherland, campus of the University of Wollongong. For me, access to that campus was life changing. I used to walk to university at the time, when I didn't have access to a car and couldn't drive.

It took me about an hour and a half. It was a great way to start the day, and I'd catch the bus home. This life-changing access is why Minister Clare and I opened the Macquarie Fields university suburban study hub last year.

It was to bring university closer to the young people in our community, because access to education can only change lives if it's accessible. We know that suburban university study hubs make university more accessible. The evidence is they increase the number of people going to uni in areas where they're established.

We are now putting these university study hubs in places like Macquarie Fields, bringing university closer to where people live. Just this week, Minister Clare and I got to meet some of the young people of south-western Sydney for whom we're building these opportunities. We got to see up close Ingleburn High's implementation of the explicit direct instruction framework, which means they clearly tell students what they are learning, why it is important and how to do it step by step.

Explicit teaching helps students understand new ideas by breaking them into smaller parts. We got to see students going from broad concept to complex themes in only a few minutes, after repetition and checking for understanding before moving on. It's learning that is student centred and practical delivered at an educational institution that is committed to equity, inclusivity and access and supportive of diverse learning styles and needs.

Incredible education facilities like this are why the 2026-27 budget is delivering full and fair funding for public schools, with an additional $20 billion in funding over the next 10 years and $50 billion in the decade after that. It's part of our continuation of the government's significant reform agenda, which also includes building a quality, affordable and safe early childhood education and care system; cutting student debt by 20 per cent for three million Australians; and making the repayment system fairer.

We're also delivering vital school infrastructure upgrades, including approximately $1.7 million in my electorate of Hughes. That includes $1.5 million to upgrade the school hall at James Meehan High School in Macquarie Fields and $30,000 for building upgrades to support the school breakfast club at Sackville Street Public School. We on this side believe not only that education should be accessible where you live but that it shouldn't put you into lifelong debt.

There are 18,226 HELP debtors in Hughes, with about 589 individuals with VET student loans. That's why we've cut student debt by 20 per cent. Our government not only believes in the power of education but we're also acting on it because we believe that young people should be given opportunities to shine and to thrive no matter where they live.