Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am happy to follow the Member for Hunter, with no member of the opposition speaking in between. They've downed tools when it comes to skills and TAFE, sadly.

One of my favourite Moreton places to visit is the flagship TAFE centre in Bradman Road, Acacia Ridge. It has new state-of-the-art facilities and provides training across a wide range of trades, including automotive, manufacturing and design, resources and mining, electrotechnology and engineering, to name a few. There are similarly excellent centres all around the country, and not just in the cities. There are TAFES in regional, rural and remote areas. They are producing thousands of people with qualifications that are addressing skills shortages in in-demand sectors.

When you think of the thorough training students receive, it's no surprise that Australia was able to field such a strong team, the aptly named Skillaroos, at the recent international WorldSkills competition in France in September in Lyon. Luckily, I met some of them up here in the Mural Hall before they headed off to Lyon in France. I would like to congratulate the 29 young Aussies who showcased our outstanding vocational training sector. The Australian tradespeople, apprentices and trainees competed in events such as bricklaying, cybersecurity, cookery, plumbing, heating and fashion technology. The achievements of the Skillaroos are a reminder of how strong our vocational education and training sector is. In fact, it's of top world standard. This is important because a strong VET sector is crucial to set us up for Australia's future needs.

We know that by 2050 Australia will need a workforce where 80 per cent of the people have a university degree or some sort of TAFE qualification. The Albanese government understands that TAFE plays a key role in individuals setting themselves up for the future and in the development of a more productive workforce. TAFEs are also important when it comes to social infrastructure. They promote equity and inclusion, and inspire increased community cohesion. That's why Labor is committed to legislating for 100,000 fee-free TAFE places annually, across the country. We want to break down the barriers that are stopping people pursuing further education, and we know that Labor's free TAFE program has been a wonderful success story.

This program is direct cost-of-living relief, but it is much more than that. There have been 508,000 enrolments since 23 January. These enrolments bolster the workforces in the care sector, in technology and digital, in early childhood education and care, and in the construction sector—all areas where there were skills shortages. That's over half a million pathways to well-paid and secure employment, and the myriad benefits that that brings. Providing 100,000 fee-free places per year will ensure this ongoing pipeline of talent, which is also good for Australian businesses.

Another important factor in this government's free TAFE program is the benefit for priority cohorts. This has seen enrolment of 170,000 young Australians, 124,000 job seekers and 30,000 First Nations people. Sixty per cent of these places were taken by women, and nearly 30 per cent were in regional and remote Australia, because Labor will always look after the bush. The program truly has offered life-changing opportunities to all Australians.

The bolstering of the VET sectors by the Albanese government sits within Labor's bigger picture of future-focused investments. The May budget included $600 million in measures to strengthen skills growth and investment in key industries such as clean energy, manufacturing and construction. This funding included specific focus areas such as efforts to implement the transition to net zero, bolstering the Building Women's Careers Program, and upskilling the housing and construction workforces.

Step by step, the Albanese Labor government is fixing the mess left to us after a decade of coalition inaction. Those opposite left us with not only $1 trillion in debt and a couple of black mugs but also the second-highest labour shortage per capita in the OECD. After ignoring the VET sector while in office, the opposition then continued to try their best to stymie growth. They didn't back fee-free TAFE and they didn't back any associated measures, such as expanded access to new energy apprenticeships or support for women's careers. And now they've made it clear that they will continue to oppose fee-free TAFE—after all, they called it 'wasteful spending'. As usual, with the opposition, we are left with more questions than answers. Will they tear up the fee-free TAFE agreements with every state and territory? How much will it cost under a coalition government for people to get the qualifications our country so critically needs? And fundamentally, what is their plan to fix the skills shortage crisis that they created? If you were looking for some clarity in their budget reply, you wouldn't have found it either—not a single skills policy in it. The Leader of the Opposition can't spell skills. He can't spell TAFE.

See this speech in context