Universities Accord (Opening the Doors of Opportunity) Bill 2026
Senator DAVID POCOCK (Australian Capital Territory—Independent ACT Whip) (11:48): I am going to run through my amendments. I will probably be five to seven minutes and won't be forcing divisions; I know people have things to do. I will give a brief explanation of each together now rather than one by one.
I seek leave to move the amendments on sheets 4064, 4065, 4066, 4068, 4069, 4070, 4072, 4073, 4075, 4076, 4077, 4078, 4079, 4080, 4081, 4083, 4084, 4085, 4099 under my name together. Leave granted. Senator DAVID POCOCK: I move: SHEET 4064 (1) Schedule 1, item 22, page 31 (line 22) to page 32 (line 21), omit the item, substitute: 22 Section 36-65 Repeal the section. _____ SHEET 4065 (1) Schedule 2, item 15, page 57 (lines 5 to 10), omit subsection 46B(3), substitute: Determinations must not specify particular matters (3) The matters specified in an international allocation pool determination: (a) must not apply to a particular ESOS registered higher education provider; and (b) must be limited to system-wide considerations that apply to all ESOS registered higher education providers.
(3A) To avoid doubt, in making an international allocation pool determination, the Minister must not: (a) direct the ATEC to allocate a number of international student places to a particular ESOS registered higher education provider; or (b) specify a number of overseas students that may commence a particular higher education course or kind of higher education course; or (c) otherwise determine an allocation by the ATEC for a particular ESOS registered higher education provider.
(2) Schedule 2, item 15, page 57 (lines 15 to 19), omit subsection 46B(5). _____ SHEET 4066 (1) Schedule 2, item 15, page 57 (after line 10), after subsection 46B(3), insert: (3A) However, if the Minister varies an international allocation pool determination: (a) the varied determination must not specify matters that apply to a particular ESOS registered higher education provider; and (b) the matters specified in the varied determination must be limited to system-wide considerations that apply to all ESOS registered higher education providers.
(2) Schedule 2, item 15, page 59 (after line 18), after subsection 46E(1), insert: (1A) However, the Minister must not direct the ATEC to vary the allocation. (3) Schedule 2, item 15, page 59 (before line 19), before subsection 46E(2), insert: (1B) Despite regulations made for the purposes of paragraph 44(2)(b) of the Legislation Act 2003, section 42 (disallowance) of that Act applies to a legislative instrument made under subsection (1).
(4) Schedule 2, item 15, page 59 (lines 19 to 23), omit subsection 46E(2), substitute: (2) The direction may specify: (a) matters that the ATEC may take into account when considering whether to vary the allocation; and (b) matters that the ATEC may comply with if the ATEC varies the allocation as a result of the direction. (3) However: (a) the direction must not specify matters that apply to a particular ESOS registered higher education provider; and (b) the matters specified in the direction must be limited to system-wide considerations that apply to all ESOS registered higher education providers.
(4) To avoid doubt, the ATEC is not required to vary an allocation as a result of the direction. (5) Schedule 2, page 60 (after line 27), after item 15, insert: 15A Subsection 71(1) (note) Repeal the note. 15B After subsection 71(1) Insert: (1A) Despite regulations made for the purposes of paragraph 44(2)(b) of the Legislation Act 2003, section 42 (disallowance) of that Act applies to a legislative instrument made under subsection (1). _____ SHEET 4068 (1) Schedule 1, item 2, page 10 (line 10), omit "in writing", substitute "by legislative instrument".
(2) Schedule 1, item 2, page 10 (after line 15), after subsection 30-55(2), insert: Allocation must not cap places for Indigenous students (2A) The Minister, in making an allocation under subsection (1), must not impose a limit on the number of the Commonwealth supported places in a provider's *demand driven courses profile that can be provided by the provider in respect of *Indigenous persons.
(3) Schedule 1, item 2, page 10 (lines 27 and 28), omit subsection 30-55(4). (4) Schedule 1, item 2, page 11 (after line 5), after paragraph 30-60(1)(a), insert: (aa) a course of study that: (i) is undertaken by an Indigenous person; and (ii) is a *postgraduate course of study; and (iii) is not a course of study in medicine; (5) Schedule 1, item 2, page 11 (line 22), omit "in writing", substitute "by legislative instrument".
(6) Schedule 1, page 12 (after line 3), after subsection 30-65(4), insert: Allocation must not cap places for Indigenous students (4A) The Minister, in making an allocation under subsection (1), must not impose a limit on the number of the Commonwealth supported places in a provider's *medical courses profile that can be provided by the provider in respect of *Indigenous persons.
(7) Schedule 1, item 2, page 12 (lines 4 and 5), omit subsection 30-65(5). _____ SHEET 4069 (1) Schedule 1, item 2, page 4 (after line 10), after subsection 30-5(1), insert: Total number of places must not decrease (1A) However, the Minister must not make a *total allocation pool determination that specifies a total number of Commonwealth supported places for a specified year that is lower than the total number of Commonwealth supported places specified in the total allocation pool determination for the previous year (a negative determination).
(1B) Despite subsection (1A), the Minister may make a negative determination if the Minister is satisfied, on reasonable grounds, that exceptional circumstances exist. (1C) If the Minister makes a negative determination, the explanatory statement (within the meaning of the Legislation Act 2003) for the determination must include: (a) a description of: (i) the exceptional circumstances giving rise to the negative determination; and (ii) the anticipated duration of the exceptional circumstances; and (b) evidence for the exceptional circumstances.
(2) Schedule 1, item 2, page 5 (lines 24 and 25), omit paragraphs 30-5(9)(a) and (b), substitute: (a) a *total allocation pool determination that is not a negative determination; or (b) a variation of a total allocation pool determination that is not a variation of a negative determination. Note: To avoid doubt, section 42 (disallowance) of the Legislation Act 2003 applies to a negative determination and a variation of a negative determination. _____ SHEET 4070 (1) Schedule 1, item 2, page 7 (line 30) to page 8 (line 14), omit subsections 30-25(1) and (2), substitute: Core student load (1) The core student load for a *Table A provider for a year (the reference year) is the number of Commonwealth supported places that is: (a) if the reference year is 2027—the *number of Commonwealth supported places (rounded up to the nearest whole number) provided by the provider in *higher education courses during the most recent year for which, as at immediately before the reference year, there was *verified student data for any higher education provider; or (b) if the reference year is 2028 or a later year—the greater of the following: (i) the provider's *domestic student profile for the immediately preceding year; (ii) the *number of Commonwealth supported places (rounded up to the nearest whole number) provided by the provider in *higher education courses during the most recent year for which, as at the time the *ATEC first made an allocation under subsection 30-15(1) for the reference year, there was *verified student data for any higher education provider. _____ SHEET 4072 (1) Schedule 1, item 2, page 11 (lines 28 to 33), omit subsections 30-65(2) and (3), substitute: (2) The Minister may make the allocation by specifying a whole number of places.
(2) Schedule 1, item 2, page 12 (after lines 3), after subsection 30-65(4), insert: Minimum number of places that may be allocated (4A) The *medical courses profile for a year (the reference year) for a provider mentioned in subsection (1) must be no less than: (a) if no allocation has previously been made to the provider under subsection (1)—the *number of Commonwealth supported places provided by the provider in *medical courses during the most recent year for which, as at immediately before the reference year, there was *verified student data for the provider; or (b) otherwise—the higher of: (i) the provider's medical courses profile for the most recent year for which such an allocation was made; and (ii) the *number of Commonwealth supported places provided by the provider in *medical courses during the most recent year for which, as at immediately before the reference year, there was *verified student data for the provider. _____ SHEET 4073 (1) Schedule 1, item 59, page 41 (lines 23 and 24), omit subparagraph 39-25(1)(b)(ii), substitute: (ii) at the time the person enrolled with the provider, or in the unit, the person was from a *low socioeconomic background; _____ SHEET 4075 (1) Schedule 1, item 59, page 41 (line 14), omit "all", substitute "both".
(2) Schedule 1, item 59, page 41 (line 18), omit subparagraph 39-25(1)(a)(ii). (3) Schedule 1, item 59, page 41 (line 31) to page 42 (line 8), omit subsection 39-25(3). (4) Schedule 1, item 59, page 42 (lines 15 and 16) omit "an *eligible equity course", substitute "a *course of study".
(5) Schedule 1, item 59, page 47 (lines 21 to 26), omit subsection 39-70(2), substitute: Total equity component (2) The higher education provider must spend an amount of the grant that is equal to or greater than the *total equity component for the provider for the year on activities that are primarily for either or both of the following purposes: (a) supporting *eligible equity students to access, participate in and complete *courses of study; (b) supporting under-represented students to access, participate in and complete courses of study.
(6) Schedule 1, item 59, page 48 (line 4), omit "either or both", substitute "any". (7) Schedule 1, item 59, page 48 (line 9), at the end of subsection 39-70(4), add: ; (c) supporting under-represented students to access, participate in and complete courses of study. (8) Schedule 1, item 59, page 48 (after line 17), at the end of section 39-70, add: Under represented students (7) For the purposes of paragraph (2)(b) and (4)(c), the ATEC may determine, in writing, that a student, or a student in a class of students, is an under-represented student.
(8) In making a determination under subsection (7), the ATEC must: (a) consult with higher education providers; and (b) consider the need to improve the following: (i) student outreach; (ii) aspiration-building; (iii) access to higher education; (iv) participation and retention of existing students. (9) Schedule 1, item 66, page 49 (lines 23 and 24), omit the definition of eligible equity course in subclause 1(1) of Schedule 1.
(10) Schedule 3, page 62 (after line 21), after item 3, insert: 3A At the end of subsection 29(4) Add: ; (c) include terms that require publication of the following: (i) total expenditure under a grant under Part 2-2B of the Higher Education Support Act 2003 for a year for the purposes of paragraph 39-70(2)(b) and (4)(c) of that Act; (ii) outcomes as a result of that expenditure. _____ SHEET 4076 (1) Schedule 1, item 59, page 47 (line 24), omit "for the year".
(2) Schedule 1, item 59, page 47 (after line 26), insert: Note: The amount may be spent in the year the grant is received or a later year: see subsections (6) to (10). (3) Schedule 1, item 59, page 48 (line 4), omit "for the year". (4) Schedule 1, item 59, page 48 (after line 9), insert: Note: The amount may be spent in the year the grant is received or a later year: see subsections (6) to (10).
(5) Schedule 1, item 59, page 48 (lines 14 to 17), omit subsection 39-70(6), substitute: Rollover of grant amounts (6) If a higher education provider does not spend either or both of the amounts referred to in subsections (2) and (4) (the unspent amount) before the end of the year, then the unspent amount is taken to be granted to the body under this section in respect of (a) the next following year; or (b) a period determined by the Secretary under subsection (9).
(7) The amount taken to be granted under subsection (6) is taken to be granted for the same purpose as the original grant. (8) The grant taken to be made under subsection (6) is taken to be made under the same conditions as the conditions of the original grant—except the grant is taken to be made in respect of the next following year or the period (if any) determined by the Secretary under subsection (9).
(9) For the purpose of paragraph (6)(b) the Secretary may, in writing, determine a period in respect of which an unspent amount is taken to have been granted to the body. (10) The Secretary may, in writing, determine reporting requirements for the purposes of this section. _____ SHEET 4077 (1) Schedule 2, item 15, page 56 (line 4), omit "a period", substitute "a calendar year".
(2) Schedule 2, item 15, page 56 (line 6), omit "the period", substitute "the year". (3) Schedule 2, item 15, page 56 (line 9), omit "the period", substitute "the year". (4) Schedule 2, item 15, page 56 (lines 25 to 33), omit subsection 46B(1), substitute: (1) The Minister may, by legislative instrument, make a determination (an international allocation pool determination) specifying: (a) the number of overseas students that may commence a course of education with ESOS registered higher education providers during a specified calendar year; and (b) matters that the ATEC must comply with in relation to making an allocation for the year.
Note: The Minister may vary an international allocation pool determination (see subsection 33(3) of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901). When determinations must be made (1A) The Minister must make an international allocation pool determination: (a) for 2027—before 1 January 2027; and (b) for 2028 or a later year—before 30 June in the immediately preceding year.
(1B) To avoid doubt, if an international allocation pool determination has not been made for a calendar year (the current year), the international allocation pool determination for the previous calendar year applies for the current year until a new international allocation pool determination has been made. (5) Schedule 2, item 15, page 57 (line 4), omit "the period", substitute "the year".
(6) Schedule 2, item 15, page 57 (line 22), omit "a period", substitute "a calendar year". (7) Schedule 2, item 15, page 57 (line 24), omit "the period", substitute "the year". (8) Schedule 2, item 15, page 57 (line 32), omit "a period", substitute "a calendar year".
(9) Schedule 2, item 15, page 57 (line 33), omit "the period", substitute "the year". (10) Schedule 2, item 15, page 58 (lines 3 and 4), omit "the period", substitute "the year". (11) Schedule 2, item 15, page 58 (line 7), omit "a period", substitute "a calendar year".
(12) Schedule 2, item 15, page 58 (line 9), omit "that period", substitute "that year". (13) Schedule 2, item 15, page 58 (line 26), omit "a period", substitute "a calendar year". (14) Schedule 2, item 15, page 58 (line 28), omit "that period", substitute "that year".
(15) Schedule 2, item 15, page 59 (line 14), omit "the period", substitute "the year". (16) Schedule 2, item 15, page 59 (line 26), omit "the period", substitute "the year". (17) Schedule 2, item 15, page 59 (line 31), omit "a period", substitute "a calendar year".
(18) Schedule 2, item 15, page 59 (line 32), omit "that period", substitute "that year". _____ SHEET 4078 (1) Schedule 2, item 15, page 60 (after line 27), at the end of Part 4A, add: 46G Independent evaluation (1) The Minister must cause an independent evaluation to be conducted of the operation of the amendments made to this Act by Schedule 2 to the Universities Accord (Opening the Doors of Opportunity) Act 2026.
(2) Without limiting subsection (1), the evaluation must consider the impact of the amendments on the following: (a) autonomy; (b) transparency; (c) regional impacts; (d) visa processing; (e) sustainability; (f) student choice; (g) administrative burdens. Timing of evaluation (3) The persons conducting the evaluation must commence the evaluation within two years of the commencement of this section.
Consultation requirement (4) The persons conducting the evaluation must undertake appropriate consultation Minister to be given report of review (5) The persons conducting the evaluation must give the Minister a written report of the evaluation within six months of commencing the evaluation. Tabling (6) The Minister must cause a copy of the report of the evaluation to be tabled in each House of the Parliament within 15 sitting days of that House after the Minister receives the report.
Government response to recommendations (7) If the report sets out one or more recommendations to the Commonwealth Government: (a) the Minister must cause a statement setting out the Commonwealth Government's response to each of the recommendations to be prepared; and (b) within 30 days of tabling the report of the review in a House of the Parliament, the Minister must table a copy of the statement in each House of the Parliament. _____ SHEET 4079 (1) Schedule 1, item 16, page 30 (after line 27), after subsection 33-39A(4), insert: (4A) The *ATEC may amend a determination under subsection (4) to specify a higher whole number of Commonwealth supported places in relation to a specified *transitioning Table A provider and a specified year if *verified student data shows an excess in the *number of Commonwealth supported places provided by the provider during the year was caused by unanticipated demand, changed enrolment patterns, improved retention or progression, data correction or circumstances beyond the provider's control.
(4B) Subsection (4A) limits the application of subsection 33(3) of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901 in relation to a determination under subsection (4). (4C) A *transitioning Table A provider may, in writing, request the *ATEC to amend a determination under subsection (4) in accordance with subsection (4A). (4D) If a provider makes a request under subsection (4C), the *ATEC must consider the request and decide: (a) to accept the request; or (b) refuse the request.
(4E) If the *ATEC refuses a request under paragraph (4D)(b), the ATEC must give the provider written reasons for the refusal. (2) Schedule 1, page 33 (after line17), after item 26, insert: 26A Section 206-1 (after table item 1ABA) Insert: 1ABB A decision to refuse a request to amend a determination subsection 33-39A(4D) the *ATEC _____ SHEET 4080 (1) Schedule 1, item 2, page 9 (line 31), before "The *ATEC", insert "(1)".
(2) Schedule 1, item 2, page 10 (after line 2), after paragraph 30-50(a), insert: (aa) the criteria, reasons, relative weightings, data, methodology, material assumptions or constraints proposed to be used by the ATEC in determining allocations under subsection 30-15(1) or (1A) for a year; and (ab) the criteria, reasons, relative weightings, data, methodology, material assumptions or constraints used by the ATEC in determining each allocation made under subsection 30-15(1) or (1A) for a year; and (3) Schedule 1, item 2, page 10 (after line 5), at the end of section 30-50, add: (2) The *ATEC must redact the following information from the website: (a) *personal information; (b) information that is commercial-in-confidence.
(3) However, if the *ATEC redacts information under subsection (2), the ATEC must ensure that a meaningful summary is available on the website. _____ SHEET 4081 (1) Schedule 1, item 2, page 9 (line 27), at the end of subsection 30-45(1), add: ; (d) the provider's mission; (e) the provider's financial sustainability; (f) the provider's continuing-student capacity; (g) each Remoteness Area categorised under the *ABS Remoteness Structure from which the provider administers or delivers units of study; (h) the quality and outcomes of the provider's services; (i) student demand in relation to the provider; (j) the total *equity component for the provider for the year; (k) the provider's contribution to supporting *eligible equity students and other under-represented students to access, participate in and complete *courses of study; (l) the provider's contribution to Australia's skills needs; (m) alternative local provision (if any); (n) overall system diversity and sustainability. _____ SHEET 4083 (1) Schedule 1, item 2, page 8 (after line 26), at the end of section 30-25, add: Publication of determinations and statement of reasons (6) The *ATEC must publish each determination made under subsection (2) and (4) on the ATEC's website as soon as practicable after it is made.
(7) A determination published under subsection (6) must be accompanied by a written statement of reasons, including the following information: (a) an explanation of the purpose and operation of the determination; (b) the power under which the determination was made; (c) the factors taken into account by the *ATEC in making the determination, including any relevant statutory criteria; (d) whether the determination is reviewable and the avenues for review (if any); (e) whether the determination was made by a delegate of the *ATEC; (f) any other information the *ATEC considers relevant.
(2) Schedule 1, item 2, page 12 (line 10), before "The Minister", insert "(1)". (3) Schedule 1, item 2, page 12 (after line 14), at the end of section 30-75, add: (2) An allocation published under subsection (1) must be accompanied by a written statement of reasons, including the following information: (a) an explanation of the purpose and operation of the allocation; (b) the power under which the allocation was made; (c) the factors taken into account by the Minister in making the allocation, including any relevant statutory criteria; (d) whether the allocation is reviewable and the avenues for review (if any); (e) whether the allocation was made by a delegate of the Minister; (f) any other information the Minister considers relevant.
(4) Schedule 1, item 16, page 30 (after line 29), at the end of section 33-39A, add: Publication of determinations and statement of reasons (6) The *ATEC must publish each determination made under subsection (4) on the ATEC's website as soon as practicable after it is made. (7) A determination published under subsection (6) must be accompanied by a written statement of reasons, including the following information: (a) an explanation of the purpose and operation of the determination; (b) the power under which the determination was made; (c) the factors taken into account by the *ATEC in making the determination, including any relevant statutory criteria; (d) whether the determination is reviewable and the avenues for review (if any); (e) whether the determination was made by a delegate of the *ATEC; (f) any other information the *ATEC considers relevant.
(5) Schedule 1, page 33 (after line 20), after item 27, insert: 27A At the end of section 238-5 Add: (3) For the purposes of paragraph (1)(b), the Minister must not delegate their powers under subsections 30-55(1) and 30-65(1) to an APS employee other than an SES Employee or acting SES employee. _____ SHEET 4084 (1) Schedule 1, item 2, page 5 (lines 21 to 25), omit subsection 30-5(9), substitute: Explanatory statement (9) If an instrument made under subsection (1) specifies a different *total allocation pool determination for a specified year than for the previous year, the explanatory statement (within the meaning of the Legislation Act 2003) for the instrument must include a description of: (a) the basis for the different total allocation pool determination; and (b) in plain English, the anticipated impact of the different total allocation pool determination on Commonwealth supported places.
(2) Schedule 2, item 15, page 57 (lines 15 to 19), omit subsection 46B(5), substitute: Explanatory statement (5) If an instrument made under subsection (1) specifies a different international allocation pool determination for a specified period than for the previous period, the explanatory statement (within the meaning of the Legislation Act 2003) for the instrument must include a description of: (a) the basis for the different international allocation pool determination; and (b) in plain English, the anticipated impact of the different international allocation pool determination on the number of international student places. _____ SHEET 4085 (1) Schedule 1, item 59, page 47 (line 13), omit "in writing", substitute "by legislative instrument".
(2) Schedule 1, item 59, page 47 (lines 16 and 17), omit subsection 39-65(3). _____ SHEET 4099 (1) Clause 2, page 2 (table item 1), omit "Sections 1 to 3", substitute "Sections 1 to 4". (2) Page 2 (after line 11), after clause 3, insert: 4 Review of Job-ready Graduates Package and student contribution settings (1) The Minister must cause a review to be conducted into the operation of student contribution amount requirements in the Higher Education Support Act 2003 and the amendments made to that Act by Schedules 1 and 2 of the Higher Education Support Amendment (Job-Ready Graduates and Supporting Regional and Remote Students) Act 2020.
Content of review (2) Without limiting the matters in subsection (1), the review must consider the following: (a) the adequacy, equity and simplicity of the Job-ready Graduates Package funding and the student contribution settings and effects on student choice and participation; (b) the effect of the Job-ready Graduates Package and student contribution settings on student choice and participation in higher education; (c) alternative schemes for student contributions.
Consultation with higher education providers (3) The persons who conduct the review must consult with higher education providers (within the meaning of the Higher Education Support Act 2003). Advice from the Australian Tertiary Education Commission (4) For the purposes of subsection (1), the persons conducting the review must obtain advice from the Australian Tertiary Education Commission by 30 June 2027.
(5) The persons conducting the review must provide the advice to the Minister as soon as practicable after it is received. (6) The Minister must cause a copy of the advice to be published on the Department's website. (7) The Minister must cause a statement setting out the Commonwealth Government's response to the advice to be tabled in each House of the Parliament within 15 sitting daysof that House after Minister receives the advice.
Timing of review (8) The review must commence as soon as practicable after the end of the period of 6 monthsstarting on the day this section commences. Minister to be given report of review (9) The persons conducting the review must give the Minister a written report of the review before the end of the period of 12 months starting on the day the review commences.
Tabling (10) The Minister must table a copy of the report in each House of the Parliament within 15 sitting days of that House after the report is given to the Minister. This is a good bill, but it could have been better. We've seen a number of amendments to try to improve it.
My amendments reflect the evidence tendered by experts and stakeholders to the Senate committee inquiry. The amendment on sheet 4064 removes entirely the powers the government is seeking to give the minister in this bill that I think are complete overreach. A common and fundamental concern expressed widely in evidence to the Senate committee is that the bill as drafted bestows inordinate power on the minister of the day, including to override the decision-making of the recently established Australian Tertiary Education Commission, ATEC, which was recently designed to operate independently and at arm's length from the executive.
Government amendments in the House of Representatives go some way to addressing these concerns but do not resolve them completely. Further reform is required here specifically to remove ministerial powers to set course-level caps for international students, cap demand driven places for Indigenous students and set provider-specific funding conditions. The dangers of failing to curb excessive ministerial power in current and future governments for the future of our universities are clear, and the Senate should step in to prevent them.
Amendments on sheet 4066 seek to put limits on ministers' directions to ATEC and make them disallowable, preserving the independence of this body as it was legislated, and I think that, as a Senate, some things that we should be mindful of when every piece of legislation comes before this place are ensuring that there is a check on the executive and that we are not giving away our power as a Senate.
Amendment sheet 4068 seeks to make allocations disallowable instruments and removes the ability to cap allocations for Indigenous students, including in postgraduate courses. If we are serious about equity cohorts then we should be encouraging more First Nations students to undertake postgraduate study, not allowing the number of supported students to be capped.
Again, if the government wants to make changes, they should be disallowable by this Senate. Amendments on sheet 4069 seek to prevent the total allocation pool from decreasing year on year. This whole bill is all about managed growth, but we need to bake that into the legislation.
As the 2050 Alliance told the committee, while the aim is to give effect to the new managed-growth funding system, the bill doesn't actually legislate sustainability or growth. It sets the rules for maximum allocations to institutions but does not specify minimum allocations. We need to set that floor to ensure our universities can grow into the future, not slip backwards.
Amendment sheet 4070 seeks to establish a minimum core student load. Again, this helps legislate to stop our universities going backwards and protects places. Amendments on sheet 4072 seek to legislate a minimum allocation for medical courses.
We are currently in the absurd situation of importing over half of our new doctors in this country, often from countries that desperately need those doctors. We should be training those students here in Australia. I think this feeds directly into the debate we're having in this country about migration, and yet I don't hear people talking about it enough.
Why are we not training enough doctors in this country? It seems to me that it comes down to cost and governments not wanting to actually bear the cost—'cost' in their mind—of training doctors. But we know that that is an investment in our communities.
And so they'd rather just bring them in from overseas, from countries that also need doctors. I think this does need to change. The amendment on sheet 4073 seeks to change the low-socioeconomic student enrolment timeframes, addressing a major concern raised by the ANU and the University of Canberra and by universities more broadly, like Western Sydney University.
Despite pockets of deep disadvantage in the nation's capital, no students are deemed to come from low-socioeconomic families, because of how the socioeconomic indexes currently work. This is clearly laughable, and there was an admission during the inquiry that this is basically just because of a lack of data, a lack of information. That does not cut it in 2026.
Further work is needed on this point, but moving the point at which the low-SES definition applies to students from the time they enrol in the unit to the time they enrol with the institution will help in the interim and is something I urge my Senate colleagues to support. Amendments on sheet 4077 seek to have the international allocation pool apply for a calendar year, to align with established international student recruitment processes.
Amendment sheet 4078 seeks to implement an additional an independent evaluation of international student place allocations, as moved by the member for Curtin, Kate Chaney, in the other place. International education is the ACT's top export industry and a huge contributor to our national economy as well. At a minimum, I think it is entirely reasonable to review the allocations and to make sure this vital part of our system is working as intended with the changes proposed in this bill.
Amendments on sheet 4083 seek to require the publication of allocation determinations with a statement of reasons and to curb the delegation of ministerial powers. These are sensible amendments that promote transparency and ensure appropriately senior decision-makers are exercising power. Amendments on sheet 4084 seek to make international allocation pool determinations disallowable instruments, preserving parliamentary oversight over this key component of our higher education system.
Again, as a Senate, why do we keep handing the executive power into the future? We should be retaining the right to disallow, and, where appropriate, we should actually be forcing the government of the day, when they want to make big changes, to bring legislation through this place. Amendments on sheet 4085 seek to ensure that conditions on needs based funding grants are determined by legislative instrument rather than the whim of the minister.
Amendments on sheet 4099 seek to require a review of the failed job-ready graduates scheme and student contribution settings. The JRG is saddling students with eye-watering amounts of debt, with undergrad students finishing with a $50,000-plus HECS debt. This debt is taking students decades to pay off and leading them to delay key life milestones, like buying a house or starting a family.
It's clearly a failed system, something that the government have recognised—recognised before they even won government—but seem to be in no hurry to actually fix it, and that's having a huge impact on students. I thank the government for bringing forward this bill. Again, I think it could be strengthened.
My amendments seek to reflect that and to better support universities at a time when many of them feel like they're collateral damage, in terms of both a lack of investment in R&D in this country and a lack of investment in research in universities. Then, there's a lot of talk about, and a clamping down on, international students, which the universities have had to rely on to cross-subsidise things like research in this country.
So this is a welcome bill, but there's a very long way to go to better invest in universities, better invest in higher education and better invest in research in this country, rather than just talking about it. Question negatived.