Universities Accord (Opening the Doors of Opportunity) Bill 2026

Senator DAVID POCOCK (Australian Capital Territory—Independent ACT Whip) (13:23): I move the second reading amendment on sheet 4124: At the end of the motion, add ", but the Senate calls on the Government to: (a) urgently review the Job-ready Graduates Package funding and student contribution settings, including their adequacy, equity, simplicity and effects on student choice and participation; and (b) improve the definition of an eligible equity student and the operation of .needs-based funding so that: (i) disadvantage may be identified using appropriate individual, household and area-based measures, rather than area-based measures alone, (ii) funding reaches students experiencing barriers to access, participation, retention or completion, (iii) in addition to Indigenous and low socioeconomic status students, consideration is given to first-in-family students, students from .non-English speaking backgrounds, students from regional, rural and remote areas, students with disability and other under-represented cohorts, (iv) detailed eligibility criteria are developed following advice from the Australian Tertiary Education Commission and public consultation, and (v) those criteria are prescribed by disallowable legislative instrument".

The PRESIDENT: The question is that the second reading amendment on sheet 4124 moved by Senator David Pocock be agreed to.