Sally Sitou (Reid, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. How is the Albanese Labor government supporting young Australians by cutting student debt and making free TAFE permanent?

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

I thank the member for Reid for her question and for the magnificent representation she gives to my neighbours in the electorate next door to mine. On Sunday, we made three important announcements. Firstly, we will change the threshold at which students have to pay back their debt under the HEC Scheme, as it was called—by those opposite, it's seen just as a loan scheme that doesn't invest in Australians—and now, by increasing that threshold from $54,000 to $67,000, it will make an enormous difference, putting extra dollars back into the pockets of graduates. Secondly, there will be a 20 per cent cut in student debt across the board. Whether you have a debt that comes from a university degree or a TAFE qualification, you will get that support, meaning that, for the average graduate, it's worth about $5,500, making an enormous difference to them. The third element is making free TAFE permanent—100,000 places each and every year. And, importantly, the first round of free TAFE came out of the Jobs and Skills Summit. It's something that we consulted employers, the business community, unions and civil society on, who understood that we have skills shortages in our economy and our first priority should be to train Australians for those opportunities. When you put together those three measures, this is about Labor's core belief that education is the key to creating opportunity—widening those doors of opportunity—so that people can be backed for a better life.

I want to say that, when it comes to TAFE, those opposite have always been arrogant in their view of public TAFE. They've called it a waste. They bag it in opposition; they cut it in government. They always look for TAFE to fail, and, as I said before, the last time the Leader of the Opposition mentioned TAFE in parliament was 2004. He's gone 20 years without mentioning it at all. On this side of the House, we've always backed TAFE, and I want to say to every single person enrolled in TAFE: we back you too. Whether you're a young Australian embarking on your first career or an apprenticeship or you're an older worker who's retraining to fit the needs of the new economy, we want you to get that qualification, get that job and build the life that you want. This government supports your aspiration, this government supports your education, and this government will continue to back you regardless of those opposite. (Time expired)