Universities Accord (Opening the Doors of Opportunity) Bill 2026

Mr CLARE (Blaxland—Minister for Education) (10:19): I thank the member for Curtin for her support for this important legislation. This bill means that more young people from poor families, from the regions and from the most remote parts of Australia will get a chance to go to university and get the extra support that they need when they get there. I want to do everything I can to make sure that the bill does what it says on the label—that it opens the doors of opportunity wider—and I know that the member wants that too.

As always, I'm open to considering sensible and appropriate amendments. I think an indication of that is the way in which we approached the Australian Tertiary Education Commission legislation earlier this year, where the government accepted 36 amendments to the bill that was originally presented in the House through the Senate inquiry and the Senate process.

And, as the members foreshadowed on Monday, the education and employment committee will hear from the sector and other stakeholders, and I look forward to their report and any recommendations for improvements to this important bill. But I'll wait to see that report before considering further amendments. As such, the government is not in a position to support these amendments today.