LET’S FIX HECS

I’m calling on the Albanese Government to end the cost-of-HECS crisis by fixing unfair indexation, reversing the Job-Ready Graduates scheme, cutting the cost of degrees, and expanding prac placements. Will you join me?

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16,705 signatures

Young Australians are doing it tough. They already face a cluster crisis of insecure housing, skyrocketing cost-of-living, and a collapsing climate. Record student debt is compounding these challenges, and making it harder to afford rent and food, buy a home and start a family.

The cost-of-HECS crisis, which saddles graduates with $50,000 debt for three-year Bachelor degrees, was created by the Morrison Government and has been allowed to continue under the Albanese Government. It’s time to reduce student contributions, support students in the care sectors to undertake mandatory placements, reverse the disastrous Job-Ready Graduates scheme, and cut the cost of degrees. By fixing HECS, every young Australian can access the affordable education most politicians benefited from.

In the last parliament, I led the campaign that forced the government to wipe $3 billion off student debt for three million Australians. But the job is not done. One-off debt relief in 2024 does nothing for students and graduates in 2026 and beyond. They're still accumulating too much debt for courses which cost too much.

So, let’s fix HECS. Together.

Great news for health students as
Paid Prac is expanded.

In July 2026, after years of sustained advocacy from crossbench MPs, the government announced an extension to Commonwealth Paid Prac Payment for ten additional allied health professions.

Paid Prac expanded to ten additional allied health professions

Students studying clinical psychology, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech pathology, paramedicine, radiography, pharmacy, rehabilitation therapies, audiology and podiatry are now eligible for placement support.

I have been pushing for measures that address "placement poverty" since I arrived in Parliament. It is great to see the government act on an issue that has long needed attention. We can't have students sleeping in tents, skipping meals and deferring courses because they can't work while on placement and are unable to pay their bills.

There remains plenty to do, most notably because other healthcare disciplines remain excluded from paid prac payments. How can you fix placement poverty for physios and podiatrists, but not for medical, dentistry, veterinary, nutrition and dietetics, optometry, and osteopathy students?

I'll keep pushing the Government to close this gap and extend paid prac to all care sector students, so no one training to look after Australians' health is forced to choose between finishing their degree and paying their rent.

Add your name.

Help us reach 20,000 signatures!

16,705 signatures

Great news for health students as Paid Prac is expanded.

Great news for health students as
Paid Prac is expanded.