edited
24th Mar 2023
Education Legislation Amendment (Startup Year and Other Measures) Bill 2023 - Second Reading - Lack of clarity
Passed by a small majority
No rebellions 88% attendance
20th Jun 2023, 12:22 PM – Senate Education Legislation Amendment (Startup Year and Other Measures) Bill 2023 - in Committee - Refund
Summary
EditThe majority voted against amendments (4) and (5) introduced by Victorian Senator Sarah Henderson (Liberal), which means they failed.
What do the amendments do?
Senator Henderson explained that:
Amendments (4) and (5) on sheet 1937 concern the ability of students to access a refund. We think this is critically important. So this provision provides that the debt for an accelerator program course with a higher education provider can be reversed if the secretary is satisfied that the course has not met its stated objectives. We propose these particular amendments because there is such high risk involved with these accelerator courses because they are full-fee-paying courses.
Amendment text
(4) Schedule 1, item 25, page 22 (after line 25), at the end of Subdivision 128E-B, add:
128E-40 Reversal of STARTUP-HELP assistance: accelerator program course objectives not met
(1) An amount of *STARTUP-HELP assistance that a person received for an *accelerator program course with a higher education provider is reversed if the *Secretary is satisfied that the course has not met its stated objectives.
Note 1: For example, a course may not have met its stated objectives if the course has not developed a person's skills, capabilities and connections for the purposes of startup businesses: see paragraph 128B-25(1)(a).
Note 2: For the consequences if an amount of assistance is reversed, see sections 128D-5, 128D-10 and 137-17. See also paragraph 128B-1(1)(c).
(2) Without limiting the matters that may be included in the STARTUP-HELP guidelines, those guidelines must set out:
(a) principles and procedures that the Secretary must follow in deciding whether the stated objectives of an accelerator program course have been met; and
(b) procedures for a person who is, or has been, enrolled in an accelerator program course to make an application to the Secretary for an amount of STARTUP-HELP assistance to be reversed under subsection (1).
(5) Schedule 1, item 73, page 34 (line 5), at the end of the definition of reversed in subclause 1(1) of Schedule 1, add:
; (f) section 128E-40 (accelerator program course objectives not met).
Votes Not passed by a small majority
Nobody rebelled against their party.
| Party | Votes | |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Greens (100% turnout) | 0 Yes – 11 No | |
| Penny Allman-Payne Queensland | No | |
| Dorinda Cox WA | No | |
| Mehreen Faruqi NSW | No | |
| Sarah Hanson-Young SA | No | |
| Nick McKim Tasmania | No | |
| Barbara Pocock SA | No | |
| Janet Rice Victoria | No | |
| David Shoebridge NSW | No | |
| Jordon Steele-John WA | No | |
| Larissa Waters Queensland | No | |
| Peter Whish-Wilson Tasmania | No | |
| Australian Labor Party (68% turnout) | 0 Yes – 17 No | |
| Catryna Bilyk Tasmania | No | |
| Carol Brown Tasmania | No | |
| Anthony Chisholm Queensland | No | |
| Raff Ciccone Victoria | No | |
| Katy Gallagher ACT | No | |
| Nita Green Queensland | No | |
| Jenny McAllister NSW | No | |
| Malarndirri McCarthy NT | No | |
| Fatima Payman WA | No | |
| Helen Polley Tasmania | No | |
| Louise Pratt WA | No | |
| Tony Sheldon NSW | No | |
| Marielle Smith SA | No | |
| Glenn Sterle WA | No | |
| Jana Stewart Victoria | No | |
| Anne Urquhart Tasmania | No | |
| Jess Walsh Victoria | No | |
| Tim Ayres NSW | Absent | |
| Patrick Dodson WA | Absent | |
| Don Farrell SA | Absent | |
| Karen Grogan SA | Absent | |
| Deborah O'Neill NSW | Absent | |
| Murray Watt Queensland | Absent | |
| Linda White Victoria | Absent | |
| Penny Wong SA | Absent | |
| Jacinta Nampijinpa Price NT Country Liberal Party | Yes | |
| Andrew McLachlan SA Deputy President | Yes | |
| David Pocock ACT Independent | No | |
| Lidia Thorpe Victoria Independent | Absent | |
| David Van Victoria Independent | Absent | |
| Jacqui Lambie Network (100% turnout) | 2 Yes – 0 No | |
| Jacqui Lambie Tasmania | Yes | |
| Tammy Tyrrell Tasmania | Yes | |
| Liberal National Party (100% turnout) | 2 Yes – 0 No | |
| Matthew Canavan Queensland | Yes | |
| James McGrath Queensland | Yes | |
| Liberal Party (74% turnout) | 17 Yes – 0 No | |
| Alex Antic SA | Yes | |
| Wendy Askew Tasmania | Yes | |
| Andrew Bragg NSW | Yes | |
| Claire Chandler Tasmania | Yes | |
| Richard Colbeck Tasmania | Yes | |
| Jonathon Duniam Tasmania | Yes | |
| Sarah Henderson Victoria | Yes | |
| Hollie Hughes NSW | Yes | |
| Maria Kovacic NSW | Yes | |
| Kerrynne Liddle SA | Yes | |
| Matt O'Sullivan WA | Yes | |
| James Paterson Victoria | Yes | |
| Marise Payne NSW | Yes | |
| Gerard Rennick Queensland | Yes | |
| Linda Reynolds WA | Yes | |
| Anne Ruston SA | Yes | |
| Paul Scarr Queensland | Yes | |
| Simon Birmingham SA | Absent | |
| Slade Brockman WA | Absent | |
| Michaelia Cash WA | Absent | |
| David Fawcett SA | Absent | |
| Jane Hume Victoria | Absent | |
| Dean Smith WA | Absent | |
| National Party (75% turnout) | 3 Yes – 0 No | |
| Perin Davey NSW | Yes | |
| Susan McDonald Queensland | Yes | |
| Bridget McKenzie Victoria | Yes | |
| Ross Cadell NSW | Absent | |
| Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party (100% turnout) | 2 Yes – 0 No | |
| Pauline Hanson Queensland | Yes | |
| Malcolm Roberts Queensland | Yes | |
| Sue Lines WA President | No | |
| Ralph Babet Victoria United Australia Party | Yes | |
| Totals (78% turnout) | 29 Yes – 30 No |
Turnout is the percentage of members eligible to vote that did vote.