Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. We now know that just 13 per cent of fee-free TAFE enrolments have resulted in a qualification being completed at a cost of $1.5 billion, all of which has been paid for by tax cuts.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, the Minister for Environment and Water is warned. I don't know how many times I have to remind members, but we'll keep reminding people until we get it right. When members on any side of the chamber have the supremacy, they have earnt the respect to ask their question in silence. After that, the House is in control of its own destiny. The deputy leader is going to begin her question again, and, if there are any interjections on this side of the chamber, people will be removed. I don't care how many people I remove. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will begin her question again.

Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question as to the Prime Minister. We now know that just 13 per cent of fee-free TAFE enrolments have resulted in a qualification being completed at a cost of $1.5 billion, all of which has to be paid for by taxpayers. Can the Prime Minister confirm how much of the $1.5 billion spent has gone to courses that will never be completed? Why is this Prime Minister addicted to reckless spending?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to 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—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister is talking and being directly relevant around the numbers and about fee-free TAFE so, in any objection, he would say that he is being directly relevant. If he wasn't talking about TAFE, he was talking about other topics. I'm going to listen to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, just with that caveat that I have guided the House with. She will have the call, of course.

Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The point of order is on relevance, Mr Speaker. My question included, 'How much of the $1.5 billion has gone to courses that will never be completed?'

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister was asked a question about spending, and there was a specific figure that obviously the deputy leader is after. I understand that, and I respect that, but, whilst he's talking about fee-free TAFE and the numbers, he is being directly relevant to the question. If he strays off the topic, I'll make sure he returns to the question. The Prime Minister has the call.

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

Thanks, Mr Speaker. I was interrupted when I was speaking about older workers retraining. When people lose their jobs, you can either leave them behind or you can give them a helping hand to retrain for jobs as our economy changes. That's why this is so important. It is a waste to waste the experience of those workers when, for example, the car industry was shut down, because those opposite told them to leave from this dispatch box. We think those people should not be left behind. I'll tell you what's a waste as well. It's a waste when housing projects can't get off the ground because there aren't the skilled workers to deal with them. It's a waste when businesses have to look overseas. A number of business leaders have lobbied to have imported labour because we can't provide the skilled workers here. What we're about is matching up the jobs of the future with the skills and training of today and the future. That's the right thing to do, and it is astonishing that those opposite don't get it.