Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I thank not just the Deputy Leader of the Opposition but their entire tactics committee for that question! We have been asked, 'Why is it that four-year or three-year apprenticeships haven't been completed?' We have three-year terms in this country. I support four-year terms, but we have three-year terms in this country. Therefore fee-free TAFE didn't begin years and years ago. It began when we came in last year. As a direct result, more than half a million Australians have benefited from fee-free TAFE. There have been 35,000 construction sector enrolments, 36,000 early childhood education enrolments, 49,000 technology and digital sector enrolments and 131,000 care sector enrolments. Thirty-five per cent of the enrolments have been in regional Australia. We're making sure that they get access. Those opposite, who never did anything for TAFE whatsoever, indeed call fee-free TAFE 'wasteful spending'. I'll tell you what's a waste: the waste of potential when people are held back from a job because they can't get the qualification that they need, the waste of experience when an older worker loses their job—

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