Brendan O'Connor (Gorton, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Skills and Training) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Chisholm for her question and her strong advocacy for TAFE. I can't wait to get back to Holmesglen TAFE very soon because they're doing great work there.

In the last two years the Albanese government has enacted big reforms and deepened its investment in education and training. We've had to work fast because we inherited the biggest skills shortage in more than 50 years from those opposite. Last year alone more than 355,000 Australians enrolled in fee-free TAFE, and a further 320,000 fee-free TAFE places from this year on are available to enrol in—investment which is absolutely vital. We also struck a national skills agreement with the states and territories—the first agreement of its kind in a decade, providing $30 billion of security of investment to the VET sector, which is critical. We're creating centres of excellence, bringing TAFEs and universities and industry together.

It was great to hear how industry responded to the budget. Master Builders welcomed the focus on encouraging more women into trades and the announcement of more fee-free TAFE places in housing. The ACTU said our investment in education and training was needed after a decade of inaction and denial under those opposite—yes, we're allowed to mention unions in the chamber; it's okay! Bran Black, from the BCA, said, 'The government's commitment to reforming Australia's skills system is welcomed by business.' He added, 'The Business Council is pleased with the investments in growing the construction and housing workforce.' However, his response to the opposition leader's budget reply on skills was to warn, 'It may compound our existing skill shortages and make it harder to do business.' That's what BCA thinks of the Leader of the Opposition.

Innes Willox, of Ai Group, said, 'The budget makes important investments in skilling and training of our workforce,' and welcomes the focus on construction and housing. In contrast, he called the skills portion of the opposition leader's budget reply 'a momentous act of economic self-harm'. That's what Ai Group thinks of the budget reply speech by the Leader of the Opposition—a completely momentous act of economic self-harm.

On this side of the chamber we are supporting skills and education needed for a future made in Australia. By contrast the opposition's budget reply has made it clear they have no plan for the future for this country, and a total disregard for skilling young people and supporting apprentices and giving industry the skills they need. The only idea the opposition leader had was the bizarre call to duty for retirees to get back on the tools and supplement their pension. No wonder we have a skills shortage in this country, with those ideas. We'll continue to invest in skills in this country, and that's—

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