CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS

Ms MASCARENHAS (Swan) (10:03): Imagine being able to have the career that you love and not having to choose between prac and paying the rent. This has been an issue for so many health students. I was very lucky when, a few months ago, a fabulous young woman called Gabby came to my office.

She's a physio student in her second year at Curtin University, and she came to speak to me about the realities of 'prac poverty placement', which is basically where health science students have to do 1,000 hours of prac and not get paid for it. She was really concerned. She saw some of the improvements that were happening in other sectors, and she was explaining how she wanted to make sure that she sees this happen for physiotherapy students.

For too long, so many people have been weighing up their ability to complete their degree versus their ability to pay rent and buy groceries. And—guess what?—the Albanese government is now extending Commonwealth paid prac placement to 10 more health professions, for students studying to become physios, clinical psychs, OTs, pathologists, paramedics, radiographers, pharmacists, rehab therapists, audiologists and podiatrists.

For regional students, not having access to paid prac for a thousand hours has been a really big hit. In WA, many students have to move from regional areas to the city, which has a huge cost. But the converse is true as well.

When city kids move to the regions to fill some of the acute shortages of skills, they have to decide whether they actually take that placement or not. As the Minister for Education said this week, students on placements deserve to be able to afford something more nutritious than two-minute noodles. Gabby explained that this announcement has lifted a whole weight off her shoulders.

She feels relief. This announcement means that she can now focus more, rather than fearing homelessness and hunger, while she trains to help others. Gabby has seen what the old system costs.

She explained how a friend of hers, who graduated a few years ago, had to leave her course for one full year to afford to take her paid prac. What should have been a straightforward path through university was not a straightforward path. This has not been great for the profession and not great for Australia's skill shortages.

This story is far from uncommon. It reflects the reality of placement poverty. We've changed it and we've fixed it.