Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. In responding to Labor's plan to provide 100,000 fee-free TAFE places, the Minister for Education criticised vocational education prices that covered 'everything from energy healing to basket weaving'. Is this the government's view of TAFE and vocational education and is this why this arrogant and out-of-touch Prime Minister cutting another $270 million from TAFE and apprenticeships in this year's budget on top of the existing $3 billion of cuts to skills?

Josh Frydenberg (Kooyong, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When Labor was last in office they saw the largest single decline in apprentice and trainee numbers on record: a 22 per cent fall when Labor was last in office. Between 2011 and 2013, Labor was responsible for cuts of $1.2 billion. Then, when Labor put forward its alternative plan, there was no detail around it except that we know there are $200 billion of extra taxes. The Turnbull government will be establishing a new, ongoing $1½ billion skilling Australians fund. We'll create up to 300,000 apprentices over the next four years. We will ensure through the $70 billion-plus of infrastructure spending that there are new jobs for these apprentices and for Australians around the country.

We've also introduced a number of other measures to support apprentices such as the $900 million Australian Apprenticeship Support Network to support employers to recruit, train and retain apprentices. We've introduced trade support loans, which have seen over 53,000 apprentices access up to $20,000 each in government support for their apprenticeships. We don't just talk about doing something for apprentices; we actually deliver, while Labor's promises are always on the never-never.