Brian Mitchell (Lyons, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I want to address a few of the points the member for Gippsland raised in that contribution. I take it that he said them in good faith, and I know he often extends a hand of friendship. I just want to put on the record that, upon coming to government, the Albanese government has actually funded 20,000 new university places highly geared towards students from regional areas and Indigenous youth. We knew, coming into government, that there was a vast gap in terms of tertiary education for young people from the regions, and we sought to address that gap. That's a gap that built up over nine years of coalition government, in which the member opposite was a senior member of the government—and I'm sure he was a voice in the cabinet from time to time, as was the member for Riverina, speaking up for the regions.

I'll take that interjection, Member for Gippsland! It's in the Hansard now! But, of course, they had their colleagues in the Morrison Liberal Party to contend with. So, upon coming to government, we recognised that young people in the regions have just as much of a right, and the ability and proficiency, to go to university as young people from right across the country.

Tertiary education is not for everybody, but, if those kids—whether they're in Dubbo or in a capital city; it doesn't matter where they are—show the aptitude for university education, and that's the path they want to go down and they have the ability, we want to make sure that that pathway is open to them. That's it for us. We don't believe that a university education should be the preserve of a privileged few, based on income. It should certainly not be based on income and certainly not on distance from a university or location. So we are absolutely 100 per cent dedicated to supporting students from regional areas who show the aptitude and have the proficiency to go to university and get that education.

It's also worth noting that this government has brought in 180,000 fee-free TAFE places, because we know there are areas of critical skills shortages in this country. Again, they built up over nine years of a coalition government that actually defunded TAFEs across the country, including in regional areas, closing down the pathways for young people to get qualifications in a trade and to enter into traineeships. There were fewer young people coming out of traineeships in 2022 than there were in 2013, when the coalition came to office, despite a population increase in Australia over that time and despite ongoing economic growth. Explain the maths of that to me! How can you have a certain number of young people doing traineeships in 2013, and then, nine years later, have fewer, yet there has been economic growth. That doesn't make sense to me.

Five out of six jobs created by our Powering Australia plan will be in the regions. We are absolutely committed to that, and, of course, a lot of those will be for young people. That's a great pathway for young people.

Before I go, I want to give a quick shout-out to Rural Youth, a fantastic group of young people in my state. Every year in Tasmania, Rural Youth put on Agfest, which is a three-day festival of everything country. It is one of the best ag shows in the country. I invite the member for Riverina and the member for Gippsland to come down to Tasmania for Agfest. It's on in May. I know the member for Braddon will join me in saying that Agfest is an absolutely stellar show. It's put on by volunteers and by youth—they're all under 30, from memory, which is youthful in my eyes! It's all volunteer run and it's an absolutely first-class show, so I give a really big shout-out to Rural Youth.

One last thing: tomorrow the current round of applications closes for the Local Sporting Champions grants. I'm sure I'm joined by members across the chamber in encouraging all young people and their families to apply. If they're going off to compete in championships of state, national or international significance, they can apply for a Local Sporting Champions grant and get some of those costs reimbursed if their application is successful.

There are a lot of programs that support young people. Frankly, there were under the former government, but there also are under this government. We have 20,000 extra regional university places, 180,000 fee-free TAFE places and, very importantly, five out of six jobs being created under Powering Australia will go to regional areas, with many of them to be filled by young people. This government is absolutely on the side of youth. I thank the member for Gippsland for his contribution. He was right on some things and not right on others. We are absolutely committed to young people, including young people in the regions.

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