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Hi Allegra,
The latest sitting week in parliament was a short one, but a lot happened. Read on for a quick update and to sign up for some exciting upcoming community events.
Big wins for students, but concern for start-ups
There was a big win for students this week! The House passed legislation to wipe $3 billion in HECS debt for around 3 million graduates. This followed intense pressure from the crossbench and the community, with nearly 300,000 people signing Dr. Monique Ryan’s petition lobbying for the change.
The Bill also provides financial support for some students doing practical placements and expands fee-free places for students preparing to undertake tertiary studies.
The House also passed legislation to create a National Student Ombudsman to help address the alarming rise of sexual assault on university campuses, as well as the terrible increase in antisemitism.
The new ombudsman will provide a trauma-informed complaints mechanism for students who are unsatisfied with their higher education provider’s response to these issues.
The Bill comes just over a year after I stood alongside survivors of sexual assault and called on the Education Minister to make the change and follows months of pressure from an incredibly brave group of survivors and advocates. You can read my speech here.
However, I was disappointed that the government pushed through legislation to tax of unrealised gains on Super, despite opposition from myself and other independents.
Whilst we need to shift the tax burden away from younger working people, taxing paper profits before they’ve been realised will make it harder for self-managed super funds to invest in early-stage startups. You can read my full statement and policy explainer here.
I pushed the Treasurer in Question Time to do more to support start-ups and venture capital, and I will continue to work with colleagues in the Senate as they consider this legislation.
Aged Care legislation was also debated this week. You have told me that high-quality, compassionate aged care, both in the home and in aged care facilities, is really important to you. Whilst the legislation before the House is no silver bullet, it is a step towards rebuilding the structure, reputation, and sustainability of Australia's aged-care system—something I have been very focused on. The bill will overhaul the way that aged care is provided in Australia, including introducing a rights-based model that acknowledges every Australian's right to age with dignity. It also introduces new funding arrangements that recognise the roles of both home care and residential care.
Finally, the Parliament once again failed to come together on the terrible conflict in the Middle East and its impact here in Australia. I was so disappointed that instead of uniting us and healing division, the major parties continue to seek to divide Australians for political advantage. We have to do better than this. You can view my speech on the motion here and my social media video here.
Join me for a post sitting week recap
If you would like to hear in more detail about what happened in Parliament this week join me on Zoom on Monday night at 8pm. We will go through the legislation and there will be an opportunity for you to ask me questions. RSVP for the Zoom link below.
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