PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS

Ms FERNANDO (Holt) (11:26): I move: That this House: (1) commends the Government for investing a further $158.4 million to expand the Commonwealth Prac Payment (CPP) to students training in ten additional frontline health professions; (2) acknowledges that, from 1 July 2027, this expansion will build on paid prac already available to eligible teaching, nursing, midwifery and social work students, with around 95,000 students expected to receive support each year; (3) recognises that: (a) practical placements are a significant part of health degrees, making up more than a year of study in some courses; and (b) travel, accommodation and relocation costs can discourage students from undertaking placements in regional and remote Australia, where health workforce shortages are often most acute; (4) notes that eligible students currently receive $338.60 a week, benchmarked to the single Austudy rate and indexed annually, providing real cost of living relief while they undertake mandatory placements; and (5) further acknowledges that expanding CPP will help more students complete their qualifications, growing the health workforce Australians rely on and strengthening Medicare.

At the heart of this motion is a simple principle: no Australian should have to choose between completing the training our country needs or keeping a roof above their heads. Mandatory placements turn years of study into vital skills used in our classrooms, hospitals and communities. They are essential but can place enormous financial pressures on students.

When placement begins, life does not pause. Rent is still due. Groceries still need to be bought.

There is still petrol, parking and child care to pay for. At the same time, students often have to reduce their hours at work or give up paid employment altogether. Before coming to this place, I spent almost 15 years as a pastry chef at Woolworths, working shifts to pay the bills and keep my household running.

I know what it means to rely on a regular wage—and the stress that comes when your ability to earn is disrupted. For too many students, this becomes placement poverty. I have heard of students sleeping in their cars because they could not afford accommodation while completing their training.

Others have come close to abandoning their qualifications not because they lacked ability, passion or commitment but because they could no longer carry the cost. In 2024, the Albanese Labor government acted. We established the Commonwealth prac payment for nursing, midwifery, teaching and social work students.

They receive $338.60 a week during mandatory placement, benchmarked to the single Austudy rate and indexed annually. This support comes when students need it most. It allows students to focus on learning, developing their professional judgement and gaining hands-on experience rather than on calculating which bill can wait.

This motion recognises that next step. The government is investing a further $158.4 million to expand paid prac. From July 2027, the payment will be available to eligible students in 10 more frontline health professions: clinical psychology, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech pathology, paramedicine, radiography, pharmacy, rehabilitation therapy, audiology and podiatry.

Each of these professions play an irreplaceable role in the lives of Australians. Australia needs these skills, but qualifying requires major commitment. In radiography, for example, practical training can account for more than a year of the degree.

A student may need to relocate for weeks or months, cover travel and accommodation, and sometimes maintain rent in two places, all while earning less. This challenge is greater outside our major cities. Regional placements often involve longer travel and higher relocation costs while regional and remote communities experience serious health workforce shortages.

Removing these financial barriers makes it more realistic for students to train in those communities and consider building their careers there. With this expansion, around 95,000 students are expected to receive assistance each year. For families in Holt, this matters deeply.

Holt is one of the youngest and fastest growing communities in Australia. Many young people want to build careers in health and care while their families work hard to manage the cost of rent, food and transport. Opportunities should depend on students' ability and determination, not on whether their family can afford months of compulsory unpaid training.

There is a clear difference in the approach of those opposite. At the last election, the coalition opposed replacing the Commonwealth Prac Payment with a concessional loan added to students' HELP debt. Under their plan, financial support during mandatory unpaid placements would have come at a cost of even more student debt.

Through paid prac, the Albanese Labor government is helping more students complete their qualification, move into essential careers and strengthen the skilled workforce on which Medicare depends. It is practical reform that changes lives. The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Mr Georganas ): Is the motion seconded?

Mr Gregg: I second the motion and reserve my right to speak.