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

In their last budget, they cut support for apprentices and employers. We've attended to that, because the Albanese government knows that apprentices need more support, not less support. Under a Labor government, from 1 July the new first-year incentive for those employing apprentices in priority areas will increase by $1,000 what was proposed under the Liberals' last budget, while apprentices will receive $5,000 in direct financial support, an increase of $2,000 from what was planned by the previous government. And, of course, from 1 July every apprentice in this country will receive a tax cut, and they would not have received it under those opposite.

In contrast, the opposition have called fee-free TAFE 'wasteful spending'. They don't support the new energy apprenticeships. They don't support the extra 20,000 fee-free TAFE places in the housing and construction sector. In fact, they don't support any investment in energy or housing. You'd think that, as the country battles through the largest skills shortage, which we were bequeathed, they would have something to say about skills. But, after the budget reply speech by the Leader of the Opposition, employer groups rebuked the opposition leader—

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