Australia's youngest ever senator has ignited a fierce political row after publicly celebrating a significant reduction in her student loan, despite earning a parliamentary salary of nearly $240,000 (£125,000) a year.
A Controversial Celebration
Senator Charlotte Walker, 21, appeared in a social media video alongside Education Minister Jason Clare, smiling as she read a text from the Australian Tax Office. The message confirmed her HECS debt had dropped by 20 per cent under the Albanese government's student loan relief package. The policy applies universally to all outstanding student debts, regardless of the graduate's income.
In the clip, captioned by Clare with a reference to the reality TV show Love Island, 'A new bombshell has entered the villa,' Walker's visible delight quickly drew ire online. Her debt stemmed from two TAFE SA courses: a Certificate II in Horticulture and a Certificate III in Conservation and Ecosystem Management.
Public Outcry and Policy Criticism
Many Australians expressed frustration that a senator on a substantial salary was benefiting from the relief. Online comments labelled her a 'free loader' and thanked 'every hard-working taxpayer' for subsidising the cut.
The backlash extends beyond Walker's personal situation to the policy itself. Critics, including Liberal politician Sarah Henderson, have branded the blanket 20% cut as 'elitist and unfair.' Henderson argued it delivers 'large financial windfalls to those with multiple degrees while ignoring 24 million Australians who don't have a student loan.'
Research from the e61 Institute supports this critique. A July report found that over half of the financial benefit will flow to the top third of earners, while less than 20% reaches graduates with the lowest incomes. 'Since high-income graduates often hold larger debts (e.g. those who studied medicine, law and commerce), a proportional cut skews benefits upward,' the Institute stated, raising 'vertical equity concerns.'
Government Defence and Senatorial Perks
The Albanese government has staunchly defended the measure as 'real help with the cost of living.' Education Minister Jason Clare emphasised that the average HECS debt of about $27,000 would be cut by roughly $5,500.
The controversy is amplified by Senator Walker's parliamentary entitlements. On top of her base salary of $239,270, her perks include:
- Unlimited domestic travel for official duties.
- Access to COMCAR, a chauffeur-driven service in Canberra and major cities.
- Eligibility for a second residence allowance or accommodation reimbursement of up to $300 per night tax-free.
- A fully funded electorate office with at least four full-time staff.
- A communications allowance for newsletters and surveys worth tens of thousands annually.
As an alternative to the proportional cut, the e61 Institute proposed reducing all student debts by a flat amount of around $5,500. This would ensure top-earning graduates do not receive the largest windfall. The debate highlights the ongoing tension between broad-based cost-of-living relief and targeted welfare, with Walker's case becoming the public face of the policy's perceived inequities.
