Pyne floats plan to sell off student debts

Australia's education minister Christopher Pyne has confirmed that the Abbott government is looking at selling off student debt owed under the federal Higher Education Contribution Scheme.

“We’re going to investigate whether it’s a sensible move to do so. The Brits have done it,” he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s current affairs programme Q&A on 28 October.

Pyne said privatising the $23 billion student debt portfolio had been discussed with colleagues, and while not yet adopted as government policy, the option had not been ruled out.