I will be asking a written question
later for the details, which is what the Minister has already committed to.
A large number of individuals — the majority — clearly are returning their service and are working in the Territories. I’m concerned about those few nursing students who choose to immediately leave and go down south, and they haven’t paid back their money.
I’m wondering what recourse the Department of Health and Social Services has in order to ensure that they collect these dollars. I don’t believe it’s appropriate to be giving these people free money without meeting their Return of Service obligations. It’s also true for those individuals who either drop out or choose not to complete their studies. Their obligation is to return as the profession they’re studying. So if they don’t complete, technically they should be repaying those dollars.