Greens Deputy Leader and Education spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi will today give notice of a private senator’s bill that abolishes indexation on all education and training loans – effectively freezing existing student debt – and raises and ties the minimum repayment income to the median wage.

Student debt has grown rapidly over the last decade, from $25.5 billion in 2012 to more than $68.7 billion in 2021.

The latest OECD Education at a Glance report reveals unforgivable cuts to public education spending in Australia during the Covid pandemic, the Greens say. Federal, state and territory governments must properly fund public education to ensure everyone in our community has access to high-quality lifelong learning.

Lines attributable to Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Greens Deputy Leader and spokesperson for Education:

Australian Greens Deputy Leader and Education spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has said that the government’s Cheaper Childcare Bill, introduced to parliament today, doesn’t go far enough, and should make early education and care universal and free.

Senator Faruqi said:

“We have an opportunity here to deliver universal and free childcare. This bill does not go anywhere near far enough.

“Expensive and inaccessible childcare has held women and families back for too long.

Senator Faruqi’s order for the production of documents required the Government to provide data on the ARC CEO’s requested revisions to the National Interest Test (NIT) statement for eight research programs. The data was returned late Tuesday 13 September.

It reveals:

Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Australian Greens Deputy Leader and spokesperson for education, has backed the early childhood educators action to Shut Down the Sector on Early Childhood Educator’s Day today and urged the Albanese government to act on wages and workforce shortages.

Senator Faruqi said:

“The Greens are right with early childhood educators as they shut down the sector today.

Australian Greens Deputy Leader and Education spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has welcomed today’s announced review of the Australian Research Council but urged action on a number of fronts.

Senator Faruqi said:

“The Senate inquiry I initiated earlier this year did recommend an independent review, and I’m glad Minister Clare has taken this up. It’s beyond time for a good hard look at the ARC.

Australian Greens Deputy Leader and Education spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has welcomed the Victorian Government’s announcement of fee-free tertiary degrees for nursing and midwifery students, and called for universal free higher education.

Senator Faruqi said:

“It’s great that thousands of nursing students won’t go into enormous debt in order to get an education. That opportunity should be extended to everyone.

Ahead of joining the NTEU picket line at the University of Sydney staff strike this morning, Deputy Greens leader and Education spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has said that the upcoming Jobs and Skills Summit must address the job insecurity crisis in higher education.

Senator Faruqi said:

“There is a scourge of insecure, casualised work in higher education. University workers deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.